


A Father's Legacy

by Sweets_Thief



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Armitage Hux Has Issues, Big brother Hux, Blow Jobs, Choking, Force Choking, Hand Jobs, Inappropriate Use of the Force, M/M, Parent Hux, Parent Kylo Ren, Strangers to Lovers, baby Techie, pre General Hux
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-09-21 05:57:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 36,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9534767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweets_Thief/pseuds/Sweets_Thief
Summary: When Kylo Ren met Major Armitage Hux for the first time he did not expect to find him looking after an eleven-month-old, copper haired baby. Left as the primary carer of his baby brother by his father in his will when Brendol passed, Hux's life is thrown into chaos. Sent to confirm Hux is still able to act as General - a role that had all but been his before the appearance of the child - Kylo soon confirms he is, which Snoke never doubted, but this in itself comes with a new problem - Kylo Ren and General Hux, waging war while looking after a child.Kylo has never felt so unprepared in his life.Hux seconds that.





	1. Eleven Months

**Author's Note:**

> so i wanted to try something a little different for me /o/ i've never written a child fic before, not properly and they never turn out more than drabbles that i never post but  
> i have an eleven month old niece and i love her! and when i was helping look after her because my sister was sick i got this idea!  
> What if Hux had been saddled with his father's second illegitimate child after Brendol's death, named "Techie" by Brendol, who was only a baby. Hux had been set to become General of the First Order but Snoke has his reservations now this baby has come into the picture, so he sends his trusted apprentice Kylo Ren to see if Hux is still up to the job. 
> 
> So you can expect lots of stressed out parent!Hux and big brother!Hux who has no idea how to look after a baby but manages lmao  
> and Kylo helping out 
> 
> the name comes from the sort of saying that "a parent's legacy is their children" 
> 
> they don't start out as complete enemies /o/ it's just a re-imagining of their relationship if something like this had happened before they met 
> 
>  
> 
> ~~the name the Dauntless came from a British Royal Navy ship by that name and also there's a ship called that in POTC and I also love the meaning of the word it seems very Hux~~

 

 

The _Dauntless_ was just as impressive as Snoke had said it would be as Kylo watched it grow closer and closer via the viewport of his shuttle. Glancing down at the datapad in his hands, Kylo ran over the mission details again. It was unlike any mission he had undertaken before, and he wasn’t sure entirely whether he was the best person for it, but Snoke had entrusted him with this and Kylo couldn’t turn him down.

The First Order needed a General, someone to lead them now they were really starting to get on their feet. Snoke had had one in mind, by the name of Major Armitage Hux, Captain of the _Dauntless_ and the mind behind the Starkiller weapon and the flagship of the Order, the _Finalizer_. At twenty-nine – four years older than Kylo himself – he was the youngest person in the Order to ever be considered for such a position, and previously his cunning and ruthlessness had seen him rise through the ranks quickly, and his ideas for the Order and their arsenal made him the most likely choice. Hux hadn’t been the only person to vie for the position, but his intelligence and age made Snoke believe he was right for the position and he had ordered Kylo to spend time with Hux and find out whether he was right.

According to the details Snoke had provided him with, Hux’s young age wasn’t the only problem facing his promotion to General. A recent change in his circumstances had thrown a spanner in the works so to speak, and Snoke needed to be one hundred percent sure about Hux’s capabilities before promoting him. The report didn’t mention what the change was, Snoke had said he hadn’t wanted Kylo to go into this mission with any misconceptions or pre-conceived ideas. Kylo couldn’t decide whether that was a good move by Snoke or not, as the entire journey to the _Dauntless_ had had his imagination running away from him. Major Hux in his head now was some cross of a humanoid Hutt creature, cunning and intelligent but not the face of an organisation like the First Order. Physical appearance was as important as reputation, Snoke had said, the Order needed someone who had the right look to lead them, to bring the Galaxy to line. People followed those that looked the part. A humanoid Hutt would not fit that mould.

Docking his shuttle into the _Dauntless’_ hangar bay, Kylo affixed his helmet in place and closed his datapad. With his lightsaber attacked to his belt, and his mind partially freaking out about meeting this Major Armitage Hux, he strode down the ramp when it lowered onto the deck of the ship. There were clear difference than what Kylo had seen of the _Finalizer,_ as the flagship of the Order had the most cutting edge technology and had been built using a high amount of credits. Shaking the thoughts from his head, Kylo found himself greeted by a contingent of Stormtroopers, lined up perfectly on either side of his shuttle. At the end stood their Captain, tall and in shining armour. She had a very dominating appearance and Kylo was immediately wary of the power and confidence she exuded. Next to her was a man dressed in an impeccably pressed First Order Uniform, teal in colour, with his copper haired slicked back and perfectly cut under a regulation officers hat. The Force told Kylo that this was Armitage Hux, and as Kylo walked towards them, breathing somewhat heavily, he examined him. There didn’t seem to be any deformities on Hux at all. He had nicely set cheekbones and sharp, pale green eyes that watched Kylo approaching with an unimpressed glare in them. His expression was neutral, his arms behind his back as he stood in a rigid military pose. He was actually quite good looking, Kylo thought, nearly as tall as Kylo, but his frame was thinner, he didn’t carry nearly as much strength as an officer normally did, and he had a thin waist. All in all, Kylo didn’t see a problem. Yet anyway.

“Lord Ren.” Hux greeted him nonchalantly, as if he were talking to a lower subordinate of his. A quick check with the Force on the edges of the man’s mind told Kylo this wasn’t far off what Hux was thinking. He had a clipped way of speaking, enunciating very well and scrutinising Kylo as he did. “Welcome to the _Dauntless._ We have prepared quarters for you and if you’d like to follow me, I will show you to them, before we meet about your intentions while you are on board.”

He did not sound impress, and Kylo didn’t miss the sweep of his eyes as he spoke. He automatically didn’t like Major Armitage Hux, regardless of how perfect a military leader he seemed to be at that moment. It was clear Hux felt the same way. Without further ado Hux turned on his heel and walked off, boots clicking on the durasteel floor. The Stormtrooper Captain followed him after dismissing the others, falling into step on his right-hand side. Kylo strode to catch them as they made for a turbolift.

“This is Captain Phasma,” Hux said as he walked, nodding to the Trooper, “Leader of the Stormtroopers aboard this ship. She will receive a promotion alongside myself when I become General to be Captain of the Army in its entirety.”

He was extremely sure of himself, Kylo noted. He was sure that the promotion was his, there was no reason in his mind for doubt even with the change of circumstances and Kylo was almost impressed. It was actually a pretty undesirable trait in people, Kylo had found, but it was needed by the Order. Hux had done so much for them already, he believed he deserved something in return.

While the _Dauntless_ had seemed large while approaching it, the interior of the ship was actually smaller. The trip in the turbolift did not take long, and soon Hux was striding out of it again and onto a deserted corridor.

“This floor houses my quarters at the end, Captain Phasma’s quarters down the left corridor, and yours down the right.” Hux explained, gesturing as he did. “Would you like to have a few moments after travelling before we begin the meeting?”

“No.” Kylo replied, speaking for the first time he realised. Hux frowned at how his voice sounded coming out through a vocoder, and Kylo caught the thought on the edge of Hux’s mind that compared him to Darth Vader with a few choice words that made Kylo bristle in anger. “I believe the meeting would the best thing to start. I have some questions.”

“If you insist then, Lord Ren. Follow me. The Supreme Leader has told us we should accommodate your every need while you are with us. I need to make it clear to you however that I will not be bending over backwards for you. Ridiculous requests, or any needs of yours that counteract the way I run my ship, and effect the needs of the officers and Troopers aboard it will have to wait.” Hux said as he stepped back inside the turbolift and pressed another button for a different floor.

Kylo’s eyes narrowed. Self-assured and needing control, slightly narcissistic and believing that Kylo’s presence on the ship was unnecessary, these were all readings he was getting from Hux right now. Whatever Snoke had told Hux about Kylo’s presence, he had not informed him of the true nature of it, although Hux had considered the truth during nights spent musing why Snoke was taking this path. His silence was taken as acceptance by the copper haired man.

The next floor was the floor where all official meetings happened, Hux informed Kylo as they walked the length of it. It also housed rooms for officers and technicians to meet and discuss their plans for new weapons, new moves for the First Order, and a large room where projections of battles could be shown so that strategy could be discussed. The meeting room Hux choose had a large rounded table in the middle of it. Hux sat himself at the top of it, crossing one leg over the other and surveying Kylo like he was nothing. Phasma took the seat to his right. Kylo stayed standing.

“Let us discuss then, Lord Ren, why you are here.” Hux began, his hands folded in his lap. “The Supreme Leader was unsurprisingly vague about it.”

“I’m here to determine for the Supreme Leader if you are still fit for the role of General of the First Order.” Kylo admitted truthfully, his tone of voice telling Hux he’d rather be anywhere else but there.

The confusion carefully concealed in Hux’s eyes gave way to an angered expression on his face, and his ears flushed a delightful shade of pink. Kylo watched him carefully, tensed and poised to move if he had to.

“Of course. So, the Supreme Leader believes my current situation is going to distract me from doing my job, or somehow stop me from being able to perform it to the best of my ability, does he?” Hux finally responded, his tone biting. “He is wrong.”

“He has been vague about the details of your current situations.” Kylo added, “So I will need you to enlighten me.”

“Tell me one thing before I do, Ren.” Hux said, dropping the title easily. The name rolled off his tongue naturally, but it sounded like a jibe, like a poisoned barb breaking at Kylo’s skin spoken by Hux. He didn’t like it. “Why does the Supreme Leader think you’ll be a good choice. Do you know what the role of General entails? Do you know what I would have to do, the administration and the tactics and the sheer size of the role that a General has to perform? Do you have any idea whether I will not be suitable?”

Kylo didn’t answer. He didn’t know any of the things Hux had asked him, for he hadn’t been trained as a General himself. He was the leader of the Knights of Ren, he had to plan and use tactics from time to time but on a smaller scale. There was no paperwork for him when a mission was over. Snoke knew the outcome, he didn’t need a report. They were good questions. And his silence did speak for itself this time and confirm Hux’s thoughts.

“So tell me again then, why he chose you?” Hux demanded. He was angry and insulted. Kylo didn’t really blame him.

“He trusts my opinion.” He replied, “He trusts my judgement. I can use more than just my eyes to see if you’re capable. He knows that, and he will believe my word.”

Hux looked as if he wanted to throw something at Kylo’s head, the expression in his eyes down right murderous.

“Oh yes, because you’re a Force user. The Jedikiller, with the infamous name that precedes you everywhere you go.” Hux’s voice was still steady, but his expression told Kylo if he made one wrong move, things would go even more downhill. “It would figure he would send his _dog_ to test me.”

Anger flared in Kylo at the insult and his hand came up by instinct. His fingers curled and Hux choked, his air instantly cut off by the Force grip around his throat. His hands grasped at the material of his trousers, instead of going for his throat like most people did. If Kylo hadn’t been angry he would have given him credit for it. Phasma stood and removed a blaster from her belt, levelling it at Kylo and informing him that if he did not let Major Hux go, she would shoot him. Hux waved at her, silently telling her to stand down. Kylo raised his hand and Hux came off his seat, dangling in the air just by the contact at his throat. Bruises were forming already on his pale skin, just visible over the neckline of Hux’s tunic, and Kylo could almost feel the soft cartilage of his neck giving under the pressure. His senses came back at all once then, because if he continued he would kill Hux. Snoke would be unimpressed, and Kylo would have paid the price. He dropped his hand. Hux fell without a sound, landing on his feet and managing to keep them although his legs shook. Phasma was at his side in an instant.

“Impressive.” He choked out, voice hoarse from the lack of air. “But hardly necessary. I have shown you to your quarters, I suggest you cool off there.”

“We’re not finished speaking.” Kylo growled. “Tell me what your circumstances are.”

“I’m sure you will find out soon.” Hux replied as evenly as he could as he gasped for air silently. “Gooday.”

With that he turned and left through another door at the head of the room. Phasma stared at Kylo for a moment before following, her blaster still in her hands. Kylo’s hand twitched for his lightsaber, to ignite it and destroy the room and let out his anger. Instead he opted for going to his quarters and meditating. Hux was infuriating, but his clear and collected manner would be good for a General. Whatever the problem was, it had to be big, and it wasn’t with Hux himself. Knowing he would find out sooner or later, true to Hux’s words, Kylo let it go for the moment and tried to clear his mind of the anger ignited by Armitage Hux.

\--

It was night time when Kylo finally surfaced from meditating, and he stretched the ache out of his limbs and stood up. His stomach was rumbling, but he didn’t know his way around the _Dauntless_ and he didn’t want to use the Force to tell him the way. A brief reading of the auras closest to him told him Hux and Phasma were in their rooms and Hux was agitated. He still needed to know what the problem was, and whatever it was, Kylo assumed Hux would be more willing to talk about it within the confines of his own quarters.

Wrapping his outer robes around himself, Kylo left the room and strolled down the corridor to Hux’s room. The room was quiet, whatever was agitating Hux it wasn’t noisy. Kylo knocked on the door. Hux cursed from the inside and the door slid open.

“What do you want Ren?” He asked in annoyance.

“Can I come in?”

“No. I’ll come out.” Hux replied, stepping out of his quarters and letting the door slide closed behind him. Kylo caught a glimpse of his room, clean and sparsely decorated before Hux blocked his view. “What do you want?”

“I need to know what the problem is.” Kylo stated, “The problem that Supreme Leader Snoke wants me to investigate.”

“As I said Ren, you’ll seen sooner than later.” Hux snapped, “It’s the middle of the night can you leave me in peace?”

As Kylo opened his mouth to counter and get Hux to tell him what was going on the Major made a strange noise. Kylo frowned. It soon became clear the noise wasn’t coming from Hux himself, but from a monitor attached to his belt. Hux pulled it off, and looked down at it, cursing.

“Brilliant. Thank you, Ren, you woke him up!” Hux hissed, turning immediately and hurrying back into his quarters. Kylo followed him immediately, pushing his way inside and using the Force to keep the door open. Hux bypassed his living room and small office and went straight into his room. At the side of his bed was a cot and inside was a baby, sitting up and crying loudly. Hux went over to the cot and grabbed something from the end of it, which Kylo soon realised was a dummy. He shoved it into the baby’s mouth and tried to get him to lie back down.

“Why…why is there a baby in here?!” Kylo exclaimed.

Hux shot him a dark look. “Be quiet! Go and wait outside!” He picked the baby up, bouncing him awkwardly on his hip as if he didn’t really know what he was doing. The baby continued crying, softer now but sucking happily on the dummy, curled into Hux’s body.

Kylo did not leave, watching Hux try his best to get the baby to go back to sleep. He wasn’t using the best technique, but eventually the baby quietened and fell asleep against Hux’s shoulder. Hux sighed and turned to Kylo, and in that moment Kylo realised just how tired Hux looked.

“Now you’ve seen the problem.” Hux said quietly, gently rocking back and forth from the hips to keep the baby sleeping. “He is the problem.”

“A baby?!” Kylo found it hard to keep his voice down, and he only did so because Hux shot him an extremely dark look. “How did you even…when did…why do you have a baby?”

“While I would love to discuss everything with you, Ren, as you can see I do have a baby that was rather distressed a few moments ago, and that I need to put back down to sleep. If you want an explanation, come to my rooms at seven sharp tomorrow morning and I shall give you the answers you seek.” Hux ordered, turning back to the cot. The baby whimpered and curled closer to Hux when he tried to put him down, and Hux sighed. “Please Ren just leave!”

“Okay.” Kylo nodded and left the room quietly. His head was spinning and he needed to contact Snoke and ask what he wanted him to do. This was completely different than anything he had been expecting. A baby. How could Hux even be considered for the role of General when he had a baby? What was Snoke thinking?

Stalking back to his quarters, Kylo had to pace for a good fifteen minutes to calm down enough from the shock to even contemplate meditation. Sinking to the floor and crossing his legs, Kylo took a deep breath and focused on an indistinct point. He slipped somewhat easily into meditation, his need to talk to Snoke forwarding his natural prowess.

 _“Your mind is troubled, Kylo.”_ Snoke’s voice echoed around his head.

“I am troubled, Supreme Leader.” Kylo confirmed, “I have just discovered the problem facing Major Hux.”

“ _You have met the child then? Tell me your first impressions.”_

“He has no idea what he’s doing.” Kylo said immediately, “It was a little awkward seeing him holding the baby but...I don’t know what to think Supreme Leader I need more guidance about what you’re looking for.”

“ _Whoever becomes General will be working with you, Kylo. You will be co-commander and you know this. I cannot give you the answers. You need to think for yourself too.”_

“I understand that Supreme Leader but how could someone with a baby even be considered? This is no place for a child!” Kylo exclaimed.

“ _Major Hux is the most intelligent person within the Order, his mind is bright and his ideas are fresh and pull on the Empire for inspiration but take us in a different direction.”_ Snoke paused, his voice echoing around Kylo’s head, “ _He is the natural choice. I need to know, Kylo, whether he can do this while in possession of the child. And if he cannot, whether he can be convinced to part with the child in order to fulfil his role. That is why you are there. There is a document on your datapad that lists the qualities I am looking for in a General. Doubtless you have already seen many of them in Major Hux. I need you to confirm he is stable enough and ruthless enough to do what is necessary for the Order, parent or not.”_

“I understand.” Kylo nodded, “I will do my best, Supreme Leader.

“ _As expected.”_

Snoke’s presence disappeared following those two words, and Kylo opened his eyes. He had several hours until seven, when Hux had ordered him to come to his rooms and find out the truth, and Kylo was convinced he wouldn’t sleep, but he forced himself to undress and climb into bed anyway. Down the hall Hux was panicking, the reality hitting him that he may have to actually prove himself to Kylo that he was worth the position of General. The baby was sleeping, Kylo could feel his peaceful mind, but Hux was not going to be sleeping anytime soon. The Major thought too loudly, Kylo found it hard to block him out even without them being in the same room. He fell into a fitful sleep, Hux’s voice and fears penetrating his dreams.

\--

Kylo awoke sweating and panting. The clock next to him told him it was six-thirty, and he groaned. It was early, but he had time to have a shower and get dressed in clean clothes before going to see Hux. He took the shower cold, washing away the lingering dreams clinging to his skin. He had dreamt of Hux, abandoned in a cold and icy environment, injured and clutching a bundle of cloth to his chest. Kylo barely knew the man but the dream had disturbed him more than he liked to admit. Was this a fear Hux had? Or was it a figment of Kylo’s mind from the fears he had tapped into when thinking of Hux? Either way, he wanted to forget it.

Slipping his helmet on when he had dried and dressed, Kylo grabbed his lightsaber and left his room. Hux’s door was open this time, and slid open before Kylo even knocked. The Major was sitting on a chair by the small table in the corner and the baby was sitting next to him in a high chair, face covered in food. Hux hadn’t escaped either, with what looked like porridge flecked over a strapped shirt. Kylo’s first assessment of him had been right, Hux was slender. There was some definition of muscle on his arms and what Kylo could see of his torso, but it was underwhelming. Especially when compared to Kylo himself.

The baby was babbling happily, one foot up through the gap between his high chair and the small table attached to it, refusing anymore food from the spoon Hux was offering and the man himself looked haggard. He hadn’t slept. His copper hair was still slicked back perfectly but his eyes were slightly red ringed, with shadows peeking through as well. He turned his head to glance at Kylo, then pointed to a spare chair on the other side of the high chair. The baby watched Kylo move, suddenly quiet and unsure.

“Are you horribly disfigured?” Hux asked. His voice was barely a whisper.

“What?”

“Are you horribly disfigured?” He repeated.

“No.” Kylo replied.

“Then would you take the mask off?” Hux requested, “He’s been screaming half the night anyway, I don’t want to give him anything else to scream at.”

Kylo wanted to refuse. Everything in him told him to refuse, but he couldn’t. There was something about Hux, the cocksure, confident Major was still there but he also seemed extremely vulnerable in this moment. Kylo was sure he had never let anyone perhaps bar Phasma see him like this, and he was also sure if he ever told anyone Hux wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him. The baby’s lip was shaking. Hux looked like he was about to snap. Kylo reached up and unclicked his helmet. The baby laughed at the sound.

Hux examined his face as the helmet was pulled away. Black hair, long and thick, framing a slightly long and oddly proportioned face. A long nose, full lips and dark brown eyes that sparkled. Kylo was emotive, he hated having his mask off because it made him easy to read. The baby held out a hand, holding one of his socks, and said “ta”. Kylo stared at him, surprised, and Hux retrieved the sock and held the baby’s foot while he pushed it back on.

“You came for your explanation then?” He asked as he focused on the baby.

“Well, this is a pretty strange situation I think I need one.” Kylo replied. “So, will you tell me where he came from?”

“He’s not my son if that’s what you’re insinuating.” Hux stated defensively, “He’s my little brother. His name is Techie and he’s eleven months old.”

“Techie?” Kylo scoffed, “That’s a weird name.”

“Well it was the name he came with okay! My father wasn’t exactly the most talented man when it came to naming children.” Hux snapped. Techie’s eyes went back to Hux and he froze again. Hux took his hand and rubbed it gently. Techie pulled away and reached for the spoon in Hux’s other hand. Hux let him have it and he proceeded to bang it loudly against the high chair table.

“You said wasn’t?”

“Yes.” Hux sighed, “My – our – father is dead. He died a month ago.”

“No other family?” Kylo pressed.

“My mother died when I was a child and I don’t know who Techie’s mother is.” Hux answered, “Not that it would matter. My father was his only legal parent, and when he died he left Techie to me in his will.”

“You can do that?” Kylo felt the need to laugh, Hux’s answer just seemed so absurd. “He left a baby to you in his will.”

“He left everything he owned to me. And in his eyes, that included the illegitimate son he didn’t want.” Hux said flatly. “There is nowhere else for him to go, and any Academy’s founded by the Order do not accept child until they are at least five years old.”

“Could you not have found someone to adopt him?” Kylo asked, “Surely that would be easier.”

“Perhaps.” Hux admitted, “But…his hair would make it obvious who’s child he was. And the will is a legally binding document, so it would be hard to work around. For now I am stuck with him. I will not stop my own career because of Techie, he can come with me when I become General and he will not slow me down. The Supreme Leader can sure of that.”

Kylo nodded, “The Supreme Leader wants to know if you could sacrifice anything for the Order. That includes Techie.”

“Sacrifice him how?” Hux asked slowly.

“In any way.” Kylo said. He was only guessing himself, but it was clear from Snoke’s words the previous night that he expected Kylo’s report to include how attached to the baby Hux was. If Hux could drop Techie and climb higher in the Order, Snoke would approve of that, he did not like useless baggage. But if Hux was attached, or Techie stopped him from successfully doing his job, Snoke would disapprove and Hux would most likely be struck from the officers ranking and given a menial task somewhere that made it easier for him timewise to look after a baby. Kylo was sure that was clear to Hux as well.

“He…he’s just a baby.” Hux muttered, standing and unclipping Techie from his high chair. The boy immediately held out his arms and said something that sounded like “up” and Hux picked him up. He rested him on his hip and walked away from the table to a small rug where a collection of toys was waiting. Kylo stood and followed. “I…the Supreme Leader would order me to get rid of him?”

“He may not give the order, but he wants to know if you needed to that you could sacrifice him in order to give the First Order what it needs.” Kylo clarified. “His original mission for me was to see if you are still in the running for becoming General. That included Techie, because he wanted to know how you ran the _Dauntless_ with your ‘problem’.”

“But if my problem were to become the Orders problem, I would have to take steps.” Hux was distressed by the notion, and confused at his own distress. It was rolling off him in waves and Kylo didn’t understand it. “I have not changed the way I run this ship.” He continued, voice rising slightly as his feelings gave way to anger. “My crew still respects me, still follows my command and would do anything I told them too, and they are aware that Techie is on the ship. We have been successful in all missions, even those given since my father passed away.”

“And the Supreme Leader will know that.” Kylo agreed, “It’s your mental state he wants to investigate as well Major Hux. Becoming General will be a lot more time consuming, as you pointed out to me yesterday. He wants to know how you balance this current job with having a child in your care, to see if you could do the same.”

“That’s three different things he wants me tested on then,” Hux stated, “Whether I can still be General, whether I can balance being General and being a brother and whether I could then abandon my brother if needed.”

“Actually, it’s however many things I see fit to observe about you.” Kylo corrected, “He’s given me complete control over it, with only guidelines from him.”

Techie was squirming in Hux’s arms, wanting to get down and play with his toys but Hux didn’t let go of him, merely bounced him on his hip and stared at Kylo. There was a war going on in his pale green eyes. Love for his brother, anguish over not being able to look after him properly, determination to prove he could still become General and fear that he was going to fail.

Kylo stood and approached them. Techie looked at him and began to whimper. Kylo offered the baby a smile and floated one of his toys up to face level. That calmed him immediately, to Hux’s relief, and distracted him enough for the two to finish their discussion.

“I will watch you Major. How you act while at work, while you’re with Techie and when you combine the two. I won’t lie to the Supreme Leader, if I don’t like you.” Kylo stated firmly. “If you are right for the job I will tell him such.”

“It’s good you can be so objective.” Hux retorted, his voice calm and controlled despite his battling emotions. He was slipping back into the military mould from the day before, the perfect Major who had complete control. It was good, Kylo thought, that it came so naturally to him, even while holding an eleven-month-old baby. “Have I answered enough for you for now Ren? I’d like to get ready for my shift.”

“For now. I’ll ask you more later.” Kylo shrugged, grabbing his helmet and turning to leave.

“Must you?” Hux asked as the door slid open. “I’d like to spend as little time with you as possible.”

Kylo didn’t respond, but made a mental point to shadow Hux as much as possible and make sure they spent as much time together as possible, just to spite him. He didn’t like the man, but he had more insight than Hux did thanks to the Force, and there was something he could respect about him. Only a little, but Hux’s determination reminded Kylo of himself. He wanted one goal, one thing, and that was to complete his training with Snoke and do his grandfather proud. Hux wanted to become the leader of the First Order, and he wouldn’t let anything stop him. Even if it meant looking after his eleven-month-old brother. What really impressed Kylo more than that was that Hux was determined to become General with his brother by his side. Instead of getting rid of the child at the earliest opportunity he had taken the problem and challenge in stride and was working with it.

This mission may become more interesting that Kylo had originally thought.


	2. Eleven Months 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo gets to know Hux and Techie and comes to an obvious decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohhh god this has taken me a while to write :L i've been on holiday in February and when I got back I was really sick so writing was really hard and it took me ages to get back into the swing of it!! Sorry for the time delay but since I've started feeling better hopefully I'll be a bit quicker updating! 
> 
> I'm starting another multi-chapter Kylux fic soon for you guys to look forward too and thanks for sticking with this story while I was gone!
> 
> This is a long chapter lmao the word count for this one alone is 11,485! Enjoy!!

 

 

Talking to Hux in the morning threw off Kylo’s plan to get onto the bridge before the General and talk to some of the other officer’s before they could catch wind of why Kylo was there. When he finally stalked onto the bridge Hux was already there, standing at the head of the bridge near a large viewport and the officers were gathered around him. Techie was in Hux’s arms, silently pulling a small plush figure as hard as he could as if he wanted to rip it apart. Phasma was standing off slightly to the side, but she was still included in the gathering. Clearly they were waiting for Kylo, as they all turned and fixed him with a unanimous stare of distrust as soon as they heard him approaching. Hux smirked behind them.

“You finally decided to appear, Ren.” He began, earning a small chuckle from the gathered officers. “This is Kylo Ren, master of the Knights of Ren. Most of you will know him as the loyal dog of our Supreme Leader, though he prefers to be known under the title of apprentice.” Another chuckle followed Hux’s words, and Kylo bristled from the insult but bit his tongue and let Hux continue his clearly rehearsed speech. “He has come aboard the ship on a classified mission, however many of you will have guessed the subject of it already, and I will not insult your intelligence by giving any sort of excuse or attempt to hide it. If he requests to talk to you, or question you, then you may answer his questions if you are free. If he interrupts your work, refer him to me.”

The officers saluted as one, and several of them openly glanced at Kylo again as he took up position next to Hux, on the opposite side he was holding Techie. The baby shifted immediately so he was looking at Kylo, dropping his toy to the floor and prompting the closest officer to Hux to pick it up and hand it to the Major. Hux adjusted his grip on Techie but otherwise ignored his attempts to get to Kylo.

“He’s here about Techie, right?” The black-haired officer who had picked up the toy asked, his gaze going between Techie, Hux and Kylo. Techie turned at his voice and began to make “ba” sounds. The officer smiled.

“Your astuteness does you well, Lance Corporal Mitaka.” Hux nodded, the smirk back in place. Kylo glared at him under his helmet. He wasn’t allowed to say directly why Kylo was there, and he had clearly stated as such, but there was nothing really preventing him from confirming any of the suspicions of his officers. His words had already made it clear why Kylo was here, as did Techie’s appearance. This Mitaka seemed to be on Hux’s wavelength enough to know that the Major had wanted it known to the main bridge crew.  
“The full details are classified as I said, but Techie is the main reason. Now that introductions are out of the way, back to work!”

“Yes, Major Hux!” The officers chorused and dispersed back to their stations without much fuss. Phasma left the bridge, but Kylo had a feeling he’d be seeing a lot more of her than he particularly wanted to. He would never admit it, but she was an intimidating presence.  
Hux followed Mitaka to the Lance Corporal’s console, and as he walked Techie’s eyes remained fixed on Kylo, attempting to climb over Hux’s shoulder to get to him as the Force user followed them. He was making frustrated crying noises as Hux refused to let him go, and even elbowed Hux in the throat as he twisted. All Hux did was reach into his uniform pocket, produce a dummy, and hold it out for Techie. The baby took it, put it in his mouth and settled, although he stayed focused on Kylo.

“I suppose you believe that was a smart move, Major?” Kylo growled, tearing is eyes from Techie and ignoring the look of warning coming from Mitaka. The man was not as brave as he outwardly liked to portray, and Kylo knew it instantly, but a quick sweep of his mind told him that Mitaka would put up one hell of a fight if he dared do anything against Hux and Techie. He had a good spirit despite his young age, Kylo decided, he could appreciate that.  
“You’ve basically allowed them to prepare answers on the subject.”

“I’ve done nothing of the sort, Ren.” Hux replied airily, dismissing Kylo’s concerns with a wave of his hand. “They all know you’re here about Techie, and they would have known that without me saying anything because they are not stupid. None here know why, and they do not have the powers you do to tell what sort of questions you will be asking. Furthermore,” Hux’s voice grew cold as he turned to look at Kylo so the other man could see his glare, “It’s an insult that you would presume the officers on this ship would lie. They are impeccably trained and hand selected to work under me, and if I found out any of them were lying for me, they would be sent for reconditioning. Now, unless you need me for something specific, allow me to get on with my work.”

Having effectively shut down anything else Kylo wanted to say, he found that he was happy to ignore Hux. Talking to the man was tiring. He was intelligent and could talk circles around Kylo for hours if they actually held a conversation for long enough, that much Kylo was sure about. He wasn’t stupid, but he had a feeling Hux had a way with words that he lacked. Choosing a quiet corner of the bridge, Kylo scanned the bridge first and then watched Hux work, unsure exactly of what he expected to see. Hux did his work efficiently, going around the officers and getting personal reports as needed, and turning to his datapad for the rest. He signed off on missions where he needed to, balancing Techie’s demands for attention and the demands of the ship perfectly, if a little awkwardly when it came to his brother. His lack of experience with children was clear to see, but he was trying, and that also showed.

Hux left the bridge once when Techie began crying and wouldn’t stop. Kylo didn’t follow him. He returned fifteen minutes later with his arms free and a baby monitor strapped to his belt. As he passed, Mitaka asked quietly if Techie had gone down easily enough and Hux gave a non-committal answer as he nodded. Kylo had read through Hux’s file on the way to the ship, and knew the _Dauntless_ was one of the foremost ships of the First Order Navy, with the exception of the newly finished _Finalizer_. She and her crew were in charge of missions of colonisation, through force or diplomacy, whichever got the job done. According to the file, the ship had never failed a mission since Hux had taken command of her, and he organised everything with the exception of the Stormtrooper Units. That was left to Phasma, who was a Captain in title only, as she commanded more than just one small unit. The plans, the planets and moons they attacked and the timescales for the attacks and diplomatic talks were all handled by Hux. He had even led a few of the expeditions himself, until Techie had come along.

His mind was brilliant. It was also a mystery. Kylo couldn’t push past Hux’s foremost thoughts without making it clear what he was trying to do, and he had tried when they had first met. The man wasn’t Force sensitive, he didn’t even seem to know when Kylo was simply reading him, but there were barriers in place nonetheless. Self-taught, flimsy, but good enough to stop Kylo going further than Hux wanted. It was annoying to Kylo, as he could have finished this mission in half the time.

Jolting back to reality when an alarm blared in the ship somewhere, Kylo suddenly remembered Hux hadn’t slept. The Major was yawning, clearly not bothered by the noise. It soon went quiet, another officer on the bridge named Rin dealing with it and confirming everything was fine. Hux was tired. He rubbed his eyes furiously when no one was watching as he read reports. He kept his back to the bridge so they wouldn’t see him yawn into his fist. He checked the baby monitor every fifteen minutes on the dot. Had Snoke been looking for a report on Hux’s childcare abilities, Kylo would have told him “sloppy but a good first attempt. He’ll be okay, with support.” But that wasn’t the report Snoke wanted, or the report Kylo was going to give. Hux was professional, and kept his work and his childcare separate.

Techie’s cry came through the monitor after around two hours, evidently unimpressed he had woken alone from his nap. Hux excused himself from the bridge to retrieve him. When he came back onto the bridge Phasma was striding by his side and Techie was on his hip, dummy in and looking around to try and see someone he recognised. Phasma was carrying a bottle of milk and shaking it as Hux manoeuvred a bib onto Techie one-handed. They were talking strategy for their latest mission. Hux took a seat on the viewport, one leg propped up on the other and Techie tucked into the crook this created. The baby fought the bottle for a moment before latching on and sucking happily, holding the bottle himself even as Hux steadied it with a light hold. Kylo noted that he was old enough to regulate his own drinking so Hux didn’t have to pay too close attention to him, only when he spat the teat out and refused to take more. Hux held the bottle up and frowned.

“It’s five ounces, Major. Impressive, since he’s still half asleep.” Phasma commented and it threw Kylo as she slipped the words into their military talk so easily.

“It’s not as much as yesterday. I think I’ve got him on the wrong feeding pattern. He should have more solid food than milk.” Hux sighed.

“Don’t believe everything you read on the holonet. As long as he gets the right amount of sustenance, it doesn’t matter how you do it.” Phasma said sternly, “Now, let him play for a bit and then see if he wants more.”

Hux nodded and followed her suggestion, setting Techie down in a playpen Kylo had somehow missed earlier. It had a foam floor to protect Techie from the durasteel the ship was made from and it was big, giving Techie access to the viewport window as well as a selection of toys. Techie immediately crawled to the window and pulled himself up on it to bang on the glass and make indescript noises of excitement. Hux and Phasma went back to their military talk, Hux absently glancing at Techie every so often to make sure he was okay.

Kylo approached the pen and knelt down so he was more on Techie’s level. Techie noticed him immediately and wobbled over to him, using the viewport to keep his feet. He reached the bars, grabbed them, and stared at Kylo over them. When Kylo tilted his head to the side Techie giggled and tried to grab him. He said “ta” as he did, and Kylo couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Hux had an uncertain expression on his face when Kylo glanced at him, torn between relief that Techie wasn’t afraid of Kylo’s helmet and concern that Kylo had come so close. His protectiveness of Techie was practically radiating off him. When Techie began picking up toys and handing them to Kylo over the bars and saying “ta” and then taking them back off Kylo with another expression of “ta”, Hux went back to talking to Phasma. They were arguing, and she was annoyed he was ignoring her. It was something about strategy for procuring more ports that would allow them access to the resources needed for Starkiller. Hux had located the perfect planet, but mobilisation would be difficult as the planet was known to have a formidable army, and be wary of outsiders. Hux was arguing for a political approach, but the inhabitants had already made it clear they were unhappy about First Order influence and had refused the original attempts made. Mobilising the troops was the only way they could proceed now, and Phasma was making a good argument for it to happen sooner rather than later.

“I can help.” Kylo put in as Hux made an argument for sending in TIE fighters first to scout. Phasma and Hux both looked down at him, Hux looking unimpressed and Phasma’s expression hidden behind her helmet.

“No, thank you Ren, you’re disruptive enough and we don’t need any help.” Hux’s tone left no room for argument, and his expression told Kylo that if he did argue, life was going to get even more difficult for him.

Still, Hux had basically insulted him, and he went to do so anyway regardless of Hux’s wrath, when Techie managed to successfully grab Kylo’s cowl and pull at it, harshly. He wanted to play, Kylo could sense it, his need for attention was strong. Hux was too busy working, and even though he would occasionally pay attention to his little brother, it was only to stop him from fussing. Techie knew this, even at eleven-months-old, but Kylo was accessible and he wasn’t busy. Shrugging, Kylo removed Techie’s hand from his cloak, forced him to hold onto the playpen and then climbed in himself. He side-eyed Hux and saw the thunderous look pass over his features for a few seconds before Phasma commanded his attention again. Techie crawled over to Kylo as soon as the man was inside the playpen, although he was a little more cautious when he noticed how much Kylo loomed over him. Reaching Kylo’s knees, Techie placed his hands on them and attempted to climb up him. He only succeeded in face-planting Kylo’s knees, but he was determined and eventually managed to stand up balancing his hands on Kylo’s knees. Kylo held out his hands instead, and Techie transferred his hold to them instead, mumbling incoherent sounds as he did.

“Techie.” Hux’s voice sounded over the baby’s noises, “Come here.” At his brother’s voice Techie’s head turned quickly, and he lowered himself to the floor and began crawling towards Hux as fast as he could. Hux leant down and picked Techie up. The baby immediately squirmed and stretched, wanting to get back down and play instead, but Hux stood and took him to the viewport to distract him instead.

“Are you jealous, Major?” Kylo teased, standing and folding his arms.

“You’re practically a stranger,” Hux retorted, “Please forgive me for not feeling comfortable allowing you near my brother.” His tone was sarcastic, and it rubbed Kylo the wrong way.

“Do I take it I have your permission to start the attacks without sending scouts?” Phasma inquired, standing as well and speaking before Kylo could voice his annoyance.

“Yes Captain, I believe you do,” Hux sighed, “I will outline a plan for you, and only deviate from it if you must. Keep in constant contact with the ship, and we will have air support on standby in the form of TIE fighters in case you do need them.”

“Yes Major, I shall prepare the appropriate troops now.” The Captain stated. She carefully ruffled the small amount of orange hair atop Techie’s head before saluting and leaving the bridge. Techie reacted too late, looking up when Phasma had already left to see who had touched him, and his gaze landed on Hux instead. A bright smile split his face and he cooed happily for a moment before squirming again and pointing at his toys and at Kylo.

Hux glanced at him. “Are you going to do something productive?” He snapped, settling Techie back on the floor and kneeling with him, a datapad in his hands. Techie pulled up on the window again and patted it loudly. Hux copied him, tapping in a pattern for Techie to follow. It worked partially, for Techie couldn’t copy him completely, but it was a cute scene to watch. Hux was typing on the datapad with his other hand, writing up a plan for Phasma and her troops while playing with Techie.

“I am,” Kylo responded defensively, “The whole point of me being on this ship is to see how viable it is for you to be a parent and a General at the same time. How else do you expect me to do so without watching you?”

“Question the crew, spend your time do the magical Force shit that you do, I don’t care.” Hux suggested coldly, “Just stop hovering. If you need a volunteer then take Mitaka, he’ll answer questions first.”

“Fine,” Kylo growled, stepping over the edge of the playpen and stalking off down the bridge. He stopped next to Mitaka’s console. “You. Come with me.”

Mitaka turned to Hux, “Major…?”

“It’s alright Lance Corporal, you may be excused to answer Ren’s questions.” Hux waved the hand not holding the datapad dismissively. Techie copied him. Hux hid a smile by turning his back on them.

“Yes sir,” Mitaka nodded, not as quick to hide his smile as he followed Kylo from the bridge.

Kylo took the time to read Mitaka as they walked towards a meeting room, with Mitaka hovering slightly behind him. The man wasn’t afraid of Kylo, not completely. There was some aspect of fear there, for Mitaka had heard the stories about Kylo, and knew what he had done and how powerful he was. Unlike Hux, Mitaka believed all the stories. Regardless, he was loyal to Hux, and he loved Techie, and he would not stand for Kylo coming here to hurt them, or do anything else untoward for that matter. Kylo could stand to learn some interesting things from this man, especially since his mind was an open book. He chose the meeting room that Hux had taken him too when he had first arrived on the _Dauntless_ and gestured for Mitaka to sit down.

“Lance Corporal Mitaka, then?” Kylo began.

Mitaka nodded, “Yes, sir.”

“And what is a Lance Corporal doing aboard a ship like this instead of working in the military side?” Kylo asked. He knew little of the military ranks of the First Order, but enough to dig into how far his loyalty to Hux went.

“The rank allows for more specialised training than just running a small military group,” Mitaka replied a little defensively, “Major Hux was going a routine inspection of the troops, and he noticed my skills. He said I would make a good officer under him, perhaps even a Lieutenant or a Major myself one day, and he offered me the chance to undertake this training. Directly under him, to get the best experience.” He continued, “That’s why, sir.”

“Fair enough.” Kylo mused. He didn’t care much about the logistics in real terms, but it confirmed his suspicions. Hux had given Mitaka this position at his side, a position that was largely coveted in the First Order. His loyalty to the man would be second to none. Mitaka was an honest man though, Kylo could sense it, so he would give all the answers he was required to, loyal to Hux or not.  
“Tell me what happened when Hux found out for the first time he was going to become a legal guardian to a child.”

Mitaka shifted uncomfortably, but seemed to recall Hux’s earlier orders and began to answer earnestly. “ _Major_ Hux received the news that his father – that is to say the Commandant, passed away first. He did not seem much affected by this news. Then another message came requesting his presence on Arkanis as soon as possible for the reading of the Will, as the Commandant had left him a special request. Major Hux refused to go at first, as he was so busy, but eventually the Supreme Leader gave him the leave to do so when the requests kept coming.”

“And that’s when he found out?” Kylo supplied.

“Yes.” Mitaka confirmed, “He came back from the reading with Techie in tow. He was so angry his father had done this. He accused him of trying to ruin everything for him even from beyond the grave. For the…first week Techie was looked after by different members of the crew-.”

“Including you? Or mostly you, right?” Kylo interupted, reading it at the forefront of Mitaka’s mind. Hux had abandoned the baby on Mitaka immediately, knowing from Mitaka’s personnel file that he had younger brothers and experience with children. “It’s why you’re so attached, isn’t it?”

His rapid blinking giving away his nervousness, Mitaka blushed at the insinuation but didn’t deny it. “If you want to hear my answers, sir, I would appreciate it if you would let me say them rather than pulling them from my mind.”

Kylo was taken aback by Mitaka’s abruptness and he held his hands up as a sign of apology. “It’s only natural for me to. Please continue.”

“I did look after Techie a lot.” Mitaka admitted, “But when Major Hux did calm down after the initial shock, he began to spend a lot of time with him as well. He warmed to his brother quickly, and by the end of the month they were inseparable. He learnt all he could about Techie from his father’s lawyer in his free time, and agreed to become Techie’s legal guardian, as the Commandant had outlined it in his Will. The Major is a ruthless man, but he is human after all and Techie is family.” By the time he had finished Mitaka was smiling fondly at a memory of him, Techie and Hux all together, and Kylo examined it as he processed the man’s words. Hux and Mitaka spent time together when they were off-shift, and they looked after Techie together, but there was no indication of a deeper relationship between them.

He began wishing he had brought some sort of datapad so he could be compiling these answers for later. Something in this might be interesting for Snoke, but considering how vividly Mitaka felt about this situation, Kylo was sure he’d remember.

“Did he change after getting attached?” He asked, “You said he’s ruthless.”

“He is ruthless!” Mitaka stated firmly, “But he did change, as a person. As a Major and a leader, no he didn’t change. He still runs the ship with the same ruthless efficiency he always has, and even after Techie came aboard we’ve never failed a mission under him. He’s…nicer than before, and he smiled more, but he’s a good leader.”

“And you’re not saying that because you’ve guessed my exact purpose here?” Kylo pressed, “Because you’re a clever man, and you have figured out why I’m here about Techie.”

Mitaka stiffened and his eyes narrowed, but he held Kylo’s gaze and confirmed his suspicions. “You want to know whether Major Hux can become General of the First Order with a brother to look after.” He nodded, “It’s not a secret aboard this ship that our Major is the most likely candidate for the position, despite his young age and everyone aboard supports the promotion. You could wipe my memory of the knowledge, sir, and I’d give you the same answers.”

The dark-haired man’s tone was forceful, and the passion in his eyes gave Kylo the clear indication he was telling the truth, and his protectiveness of Hux and Techie was not to be tested. There was trust on Hux’s side as well, Kylo thought, or they wouldn’t spend time together as they did, even if it was because of Techie. Mitaka’s opinion of Hux, of how Hux was both before and after Techie was true, in his eyes. He truly believed Hux would make a good General. And Kylo could see from Mitaka’s memories the truth in the statement that Hux had not changed as a Major since Techie’s arrival, which was good for him. Snoke would have been unhappy had he reported back that Hux was not suited to become General, he wanted him in the position desperately.

“That’s all I need for now, Lance Corporal.” Kylo announced, standing fluidly and moving to the door, “You’ve given me some interesting information.”

Mitaka nodded, torn before saluting Kylo or not. He recognised him as a superior, but not an officer. He did not salute in the end, merely hurried from the room and began making his way back to the bridge. As soon as he had gone Kylo sat back down and slipped easily into a meditative state, contacting Snoke immediately.

“ _Do you have something to report, my boy?”_

“I have spoken to Lance Corporal Mitaka, a military man working directly under Major Hux.” Kylo confirmed, “And I have some more information on Hux and the child.”

“ _I know of the Lance Corporal. I approved of Major Hux’s suggestion to give him specialised training. What did he have to say?”_

“That Major Hux has not changed his approach as a leader since he became the legal guardian of Techie.” Kylo replied, “He’s still just as ruthless, albeit a little more human. He believes whole-heartedly that Hux will be a good General even with the child in tow. And he tells the truth, the Force confirmed it to me.”

_“Good. This is good news. Continue watching him, my boy. We need to be sure.”_

Kylo continued to meditate even after Snoke’s presence dimmed in his mind. He didn’t know what else he could possibly see that could convince him Hux shouldn’t become General. The only thing holding him back was his dislike for the man, and since they would be co-commanders, if Hux became General he would have to deal with him on a daily basis. Kylo couldn’t imagine working with him, but he knew the decision couldn’t come down to solely that. Hoping meditation would help him find some further answers, and some peace when he did return to the bridge, Kylo cleared his mind and allowed the calm to seep in.

\--

Hux was waiting by Mitaka’s console when he arrived back from talking with Kylo.

“Scramble a unit of TIE fighters to accompany Captain Phasma down to the planet, Lance Corporal.” He ordered, not looking up from his datapad. Mitaka nodded numbly, them mumbled that he would when he remembered Hux wasn’t looking at him. It felt a little awkward being in front of Hux after he had spent the last half an hour talking to Kylo about him, but Hux didn’t seem bothered and wandered off once Mitaka had accepted the order.

Techie was still in his playpen, watching Hux. He had a book on his lap, and when Hux moved over to him again his attention went back to the book and he began banging it against the foam floor. He kept glancing at the datapad in Hux’s hands, but the book continually grabbed his attention, giving Hux the time he needed to finish the plan for Phasma and send it through to her. With that done he looked up properly and was a little concerned that Kylo had not returned alongside Mitaka, meaning he was freely wandering the ship. If he found out later Kylo had begun harassing other crew members, Hux would not be impressed. The announcement he had made earlier had been broadcast through the entire ship, so all crew members knew Kylo Ren was among them and might be asking them questions. It also prepared Hux in case he received complaints about Kylo’s conduct.

Hux had been unable to stop his mind from racing since his conversation with Kylo that morning, even with the other things distracting him. Snoke wanted him to be General, which Hux had already guessed from the way the Supreme Leader had praised him for Starkiller and the _Finalizer._ That it all hinged on the opinion of his apprentice and whatever he felt like marking Hux on filled Hux with an anxiety that he couldn’t get control of. It felt like he was back at Academy, waiting day after day to be pulled into the Commandant’s officer and chastised over every little thing. It made him feel like he had a lack of control, even aboard his own ship. Hux couldn’t keep his hands still, he was constantly messing with something to try and keep control, but it was slowly becoming impossible. Deciding to play with Techie while there was a lull in activity on the ship and he had a breakdown, Hux climbed into the playpen and sank down next to his brother. Techie all but threw himself at Hux, climbing into his lap with the book and handing it to Hux with another exclamation of “ta!”. Hux repeated the word as he took the book. Techie watched him and began muttering “da” over and over as he crawled off looking for another toy.

Hux put the book aside and slid a jigsaw towards Techie instead. It was simple wooden blocks shaped like animals that fit into slots on a wooden board, but Techie loved it, and loved chewing them. He was still in the midst of teething, and Hux had read on the holonet that chewing hardened toys and hard vegetables would bring relief. The octopus was a favourite of his, but Hux had soon found it was the red colour he was attracted to more than the animal itself. Checking the time casually on his datapad as Techie played, he was startled to find it was mid-afternoon. The day had fallen away without Hux realising, and since Techie had only had breakfast and a five ounce bottle of milk all day he was probably getting hungry, although he wasn’t showing any signs of hunger or the usual crankiness that proceeded it. Mitaka had warned Hux that he needed to get Techie into a proper eating and napping routine but it was hard to work around his own schedule on such a thing. Hux couldn’t deny he was a little over-indulgent when it came to Techie either, so he wanted Techie with him at all times and would give him anything he wanted, which meant some days he would eat a lot of snacks.

“Major.” Mitaka announced his approach quietly, standing awkwardly in front of the playpen. Techie squealed and a huge smile split his face and he crawled over to where Mitaka was and held his arms up for Mitaka to pick him up. Mitaka bent down to his level instead and smiled back.  
“The TIE fighters have their orders, and Captain Phasma has confirmed she has received your plan and she is going to begin executing it now.” Mitaka continued when Hux nodded, “Shall I keep a holovid of the attack open?”

“Keep it private if you do,” Hux said, “I trust your instincts Lance Corporal, and Captain Phasma will be in touch if they need help, but another eye wouldn’t hurt.”

“Yes Major.” Mitaka saluted, stood to leave and then squatted back down. “If I may be so bold, Major, but there is not much work that requires your attention on the bridge as of yet, so perhaps you could take Techie and feed him. I know it’s nearly time for some food for him.” He suggested quietly.

“I may do just that.” Hux agreed, watching as Techie smacked his lips together in an attempt to make popping sounds. “Thank you.”

“You know I’ll help you in anyway, Major.” Mitaka smiled, “You and Techie.”

“You’re more qualified in that area than I am, I’ll give you that.” Hux admitted with a short huff of laughter. He stood and picked Techie up. He immediately reached again for Mitaka, so Hux allowed him to go over for a cuddle for a moment while he gathered the toys in the playpen and folded it down so it would go into one corner of the bridge.

“Hey Techie.” Mitaka cooed, “Hey. Aren’t you getting big. Any more peggies yet? No but you’ve got so many already! We’re going to have a big party for you soon! When you turn one! Would you like that?”

Techie gave a high-pitched squeal in response, his elbow resting against Mitaka’s neck in a way that made the officer’s eyes water. Hux walked back over and took him off Mitaka to save his breathing. Mitaka tapped Techie lightly on the nose, and then waited patiently for Techie to do it back.

“I’ll come and see you later and we can play for a bit before bath time.” The Lance Corporal promised, walking as far as his own console by Hux’s side. The other officer’s all waved at Techie as Hux carried him from the bridge, with choruses of “bye bye!” which Techie found extremely amusing. He giggled and waved as well until they were all out of sight.

As the doors to the turbolift opened Hux nearly walked into Kylo getting off it. Techie announced his happiness with another loud squeal and a babble of incoherent sounds, his hands making grabbing motions. Kylo stepped back onto the turbolift as Hux boarded it, trying to hold in a sigh.

“Are you not getting off?” He grimaced.

“No, I was looking for you.” Kylo responded. “Where are you going?”

“It’s time for dinner.” Hux stated.

Kylo checked the time. “It’s almost three. Does he not have a routine?”

Hux side-eyed him sceptically, “What do you know about raising children?”

“I have…-had a baby cousin before I joined the Supreme Leader. I’d help look after her, and I still remember what I learnt.” Kylo replied evenly, “And I know babies need a better routine. Considering how well organised you are, Major, I’d expect you to already have one.”

Hux had the overwhelming urge to strangle Kylo then and there and leave his body for some poor technician to find, but he had to use both hands to hold Techie. He settled for snapping “Some things don’t always go according to plan!” loudly and ignoring Kylo for the rest of the ride on the lift. He didn’t want to admit to Kylo that he had no idea what sort of schedule babies were supposed to adhere to, and everything he read on the holonet contradicted the thing he had read just before that and had confused him even more.

Kylo didn’t speak again until they were walking towards Hux’s quarters. “I doubt you’ve ever uttered those words before, have you, Major?” He laughed.

Techie copied him, laughing as well loudly. Hux rolled his eyes. A droid was waiting outside his room with fresh food for Techie, and Hux unlocked the door and motioned for it to go in ahead of him. He was in the process of properly weaning Techie, and so mealtimes inspired nothing but panic should Techie choke. He had, once, and Hux had nearly shut down in panic. Luckily, Mitaka and Phasma had both been there to handle it, and when Techie had been dealt with Hux had held him close and nearly cried into his soft copper hair. On top of the anxiety he was already feeling, Hux wasn’t sure how he was going to get through this mealtime.

The droid set up Techie’s high chair and left a plate of pasta on the small tray. Hux fastened Techie into the chair, slid a bib onto him and pulled the pasta out of his reach. He cut it up into smaller pieces and spread those out onto the tray instead so Techie could eat them one at a time. He examined each piece before eating it. Hux sat and watched, and supplied more pasta when he began to run out.

“What would you do if there was an emergency and he needed feeding? Since you said things don’t always go to plan.” Kylo asked, sitting down as well opposite Techie.

“I carry food jars, bibs and milk bottles in my pocket at all times.” Hux replied nonchalantly, biting his lip as Techie coughed and spat a piece of pasta back out. The boy was fine, ignoring that piece and choosing another piece to chew instead. “Just in case.”

Kylo nodded, admitting to himself that that was a good idea. Hux reached forward as Techie noticed the spoon the droid had left on the tray, grabbing it before the baby could. Frowning, Kylo wondered why, but the answer soon became clear when the pieces of pasta Techie was holding went on the floor instead of into his mouth.

“Techie!” Hux admonished him as he went to drop another.

Techie giggled and let go.

“No!” Hux exclaimed, wiping the pieces of pasta off the tray so Techie had nothing else to throw. The action stopped Techie from giggling, and his bottom lip wobbled. Instead of allowing him to feed himself, Hux brought up a spoonful of pasta to Techie’s lips and fed him instead, with much protest coming from the child as he tried to grab the spoon. Hux held his hands lightly to avoid this and Kylo realised this must have happened a lot in order for Hux to be so skilled at manoeuvring around Techie’s hands.  
“Can you make yourself useful and get his juice please?” Hux asked. “It’s on the desk.”

Kylo raised a hand and levitated the bottle over to them using the Force and then passed it to Hux. Techie reached for it, his eyes wide, and Hux allowed him to have it and take a long drink from him. As he drank, Techie held the handles on either side tightly, and when he was done he held the bottle over the edge of the chair and let go so it fell to the floor.

“Oo!” He said, leaning over the edge of the chair to look at the bottle after it made a loud noise.

“Oh dear indeed.” Hux sighed, leaning down and retrieving the bottle but not giving it back to his brother. Running a hand through his hair, Hux began to feed Techie again, allowing him this time to hold the spoon as Hux directed it into his mouth. Techie was a lot more receptive to this technique and soon half the plate of pasta was gone.

“Do you not take these opportunities to grab some sleep?” Kylo asked, suddenly remembering how tired Hux had been this morning when the feeling washed over him from the Major. “I mean, your crew can’t know exactly how long it takes you to feed him. When was the last time you slept?”

“Six days ago was the last time I had a good night’s sleep.” Hux answered flatly, handing Techie the juice again, “And I only got a good night’s sleep then because he wasn’t particularly well and Calpol makes him sleepy.”

“You’re running a battleship and looking after a child when you’ve not slept properly for over a week!” Kylo didn’t know whether to be sceptical or worried about Hux’s claims.

Hux fixed him with an annoyed stare, and even Techie seemed to be judging him by the look on his face. It was a near perfect copy of Hux’s expression and Kylo was tempted to laugh. “I’ve had worse sleeps. This is the life of a parent. I’m not so full of pride that I will not excuse myself if I cannot do my job due to lack of sleep, it’s just not come to that yet.”

Kylo hummed in response, rolling his shoulders and watching Techie lean forward to attempt to grab a handful of pasta from the plate. When Hux brought the spoon back to his lips, Techie kept them firmly shut and turned his head to the side, shaking it vigorously.

“Are you done?” Hux asked softly, putting the spoon on the plate and fetching a small yoghurt pot that the droid had also brought up, “How about some dessert?”

Intrigued whether Techie would accept dessert after eating half a plate of pasta, Kylo was surprised when he did, happily taking the first spoonful and making “mmm” noises as he ate it. Hux smiled.

“Is that tasty?” He asked, “It’s your favourite flavour, apple and apricot.”

Techie shouted in response. He had somehow gotten yoghurt on his hands despite only having had one spoonful. By the end of the yoghurt port his face, hands, shirt, pants and chair were covered in it. Even Hux had some on him. Without blinking Hux pulled baby wipes from under the chair and began wiping Techie down, starting with his face, then his hands. A new pair of pants and a new shirt materialised out of a small basket under the chair as well, and Hux efficiently stripped Techie, changed his nappy, and redressed him all while the child squirmed and cried and tried to crawl off Hux’s knee. When Techie was dressed to Hux’s standards, he cleaned the chair and tray, before folding it up and carrying it one handed to a corner of the room. He didn’t attempt to clean his own uniform.

“You can go and change, I’ll keep my eye on him.” Kylo offered.

Hux didn’t look entirely convinced, but he had to go back to the bridge and his anxiety levels wouldn’t have been able to take going out there covered in yoghurt. He needed a clean uniform. Cleanliness helped with order.

“Take off your mask.” He ordered, “Then you can watch him.”

Kylo didn’t hesitate this time. Hux had already seen his face so there was no point in hiding it further. Techie reached for the helmet as soon as it was off but Hux intercepted his hands before he could get it.

“Don’t let him have it. Put it somewhere he can’t reach.” He ordered, “Don’t let him chew anything that isn’t a toy. Your best bet is to take him to the viewport, he likes looking at the stars. Don’t bounce him otherwise he’ll be sick.” It was a quick list, things that came to the forefront of his mind as he handed Techie over to Kylo and gathered up the pasta and yoghurt pot so Techie couldn’t get them. With one last look to make sure Kylo was holding Techie right, Hux disappeared into his bedroom.

Kylo held the boy on his hip, and Techie stared at him. It was an awkward position, but his body automatically remembered how he had held his baby cousin, and so he easily managed to get Techie into a comfortable position. Techie was kicking his legs as much as he could, trying to get out of Kylo’s grip so he could be on the floor. When he realised Kylo wasn’t letting go of him, he pointed at the viewport. Kylo shifted his grip so he had a firmer hold, so Techie couldn’t throw himself back anymore. Or so he thought. Techie wanted to be at the viewport, but he also wanted to be on the floor, and so he violently threw himself backwards, and slipped from Kylo’s grasp. He only fell a short way before Kylo grabbed him with the Force and got a good hold on him again. Techie seemed to find it highly amusing as Kylo knelt down even as he held him tightly and tried to get his heart to calm down.

“He does that.” Hux’s voice came softly from behind him, and Kylo jumped again, cringing internally that Hux had seen that. The Major had changed quickly, although he was not fully dressed yet, wearing clean pants and boots, but only a dark vest and dog tags on his upper body. He had hung a clean tunic on the back of his chair.  
“He throws himself backwards to get out of your arms, and it takes you by surprise. It stops being worrying eventually because you figure out how to hold him.”

“To say you’ve only been looking after him properly for three weeks your bond is remarkable.” Kylo murmured, gladly handing Techie back to Hux when his brother knelt down next to them.

“Did Mitaka tell you that?” Hux asked quietly. He took Kylo’s silence as confirmation. “It’s true. Techie hasn’t been here long but I…he…I can’t explain our bond but he’s loved me since the first day he saw me. I…resemble our father so to speak…and I can only think that as a reason but. Well. Brendol Hux was not known for mollycoddling his children so I don’t know if Techie has any memories of him. I was raised by…droids.” Hux stopped speaking suddenly, his expression giving Kylo the indication that he felt like he had said too much, and he shouldn’t have. It was intriguing to the Force user to see this side of Hux, the other side of the Major, and he wanted to hear more.

“If the first ten months of Techie’s like were the same, being raised by droids, then it’s understandable for him to make a connection with you.” He mused, “If you’re the first life-form that he’s come into constant contact with, he’ll be very attached to you.”

“I will always be a constant figure, no matter what the Supreme Leader orders.” Hux stated firmly, hugging Techie close to him. Techie seemed to sense his distress and leaned into him. “I won’t let him relive the same childhood.”

“The same childhood?” Kylo frowned.

“As I said my father was not there,” Hux shrugged, “I was mostly looked after by droids and it won’t be the same for Techie.”

“From what I’ve seen from today, that won’t be hard for you to achieve.” Kylo smiled.

Hux looked at him, torn between smiling and frowning. He settled for a semi-neutral expression.

“I need to get back to work.” He said eventually, “Thank you, for watching him.

Kylo shrugged as he stood, watching as he slipped a clean tunic back on and took Techie into his arms again. When they were ready, he followed him back onto the bridge.

\--

The next week passed much the same for Kylo. He’d spend time with Hux and Techie in the morning, spend Hux’s shift following them, watching him plan and work and play with Techie and then he’d spend some time with them in the evening as well. Hux didn’t talk about his personal life again, he focused most of their talks on Techie, or Kylo, or something other than himself and Kylo didn’t push it. He still didn’t like Hux, not completely, but the more time he spent with him the more he grew on him.

After that week Phasma and the troopers returned from their mission, having subdued the armies of the planet and acquired the base they needed. Kylo wanted to talk to her next, to get her opinion on Hux, and she was happy to do so as soon as she had returned. But first, she went to find Hux and presented him a with a stuffed giraffe toy for Techie, which the boy jumped on immediately.

Sitting across her, Kylo attempted a short brush against her mind to see what she was thinking. Phasma however had better mental blocks than Hux did, and he did not even manage to gather what she was thinking.

“What sort of questions are you going to ask?” She demanded.

“Just about Hux and Techie, but you can calm down Captain Phasma, I’m not here to deny him the chance to become General.” Kylo replied calmly, “I believe he would be a great General, but I have to get as much evidence of that as I can for the Supreme Leader.”

Phasma didn’t reply, but her expression told Kylo she didn’t quite believe him. Hux had his reservations about Kylo’s decision, and Kylo knew that, and he had clearly shared that with Phasma before she had even returned to the ship.

“I’m just going to ask you the same sort of questions I asked the other officers, Captain.” Kylo began. “First off, tell me how you became Captain alongside Major Hux.”

“We met during my training. Hux was extremely engaged in the training of the troops, to make sure that they were following his direct orders. We got to know each other well, he approved of my methods when it became to directing and training the troops. I became a Captain of my own merit, it had nothing to do with Hux, but he does believe I should control more than a mere Captain does, which is why I control all Stormtroopers aboard this ship.” Phasma barely gave any information to Kylo, but enough that the question was answered, and her tone was clipped and professional. He had managed to win over Techie and Mitaka, and even Hux seemed a little more relaxed around him now, but Phasma was a different story.

“Can I hear your opinion on Hux both before and after he found out he was becoming legal guardian of Techie.” Kylo requested.

Phasma rolled her shoulders and folded her arms on the table as she observed Kylo. “What else can I say that has not already been said to you? I have known Hux for longer than anyone aboard this ship, is that why you think I have more information?”

“Please, Captain.” Kylo sighed, “I don’t want this to be difficult, I just want to get your side of the story so I can use it in evidence for the Supreme Leader. So please, answer my questions.”

At his words Phasma laughed and physically relaxed. “Well said, Ren. I had to make sure that you were actually telling me the truth. But now I can tell that you are, I’ll answer any questions you want.”

Blinking in confusion, Kylo was glad he had kept his helmet on to hide his expression. Phasma looked smug, she knew exactly how he was feeling right now.

“Okay, well answer my question then.” He said.

“Very well.” Phasma nodded, “Hux has always been ruthless and driven. His intelligence is his power, and even I haven’t seen the full depths of his knowledge. Hux is the best leader anyone could hope for. Nothing has changed since Techie’s arrival. His intelligence is matched by no one else, and his abilities to lead have not suffered.”

“Mitaka indicated the same thing.” Kylo informed her, “That his abilities as a leader are the same, but he has become a…nicer human I think is how he worded it.”

Phasma chuckled again, “He’s mellowed out a little bit that’s for sure, but I wouldn’t say he’s nicer. He’s nice to Techie.”

“Well I’ve seen enough of that myself.” Kylo agreed, “So, let me ask, were you involved in the first week of Techie being here?”

“No.” Phasma replied, “That was mostly Mitaka, and Lieutenant Rin. You must have met her, she works on the bridge as well. I was involved in getting Hux to actually accept that he had a little brother.”

“Can you tell me about that?” Kylo asked.

Phasma shrugged, “There wasn’t really much to it.”

“Well, elaborate a little. Anything you tell me that I can use, will be helpful Captain.”

“So you’ve said.” Phasma said drily, “Hux didn’t want a child. He was happy to abandon Techie to whatever academy he could find, or get him adopted to someone else. It was only after he realised this would take a lot of court battles on Arkanis to get the Will overturned that he agreed Techie could stay. He started looking after him more, as it was less of an inconvenience for him that way.”

“Did you advocate for Techie?”

“No, I advocated for the General to get him adopted out.” Phasma replied, “But now he’s aboard I’d never let him go. And neither would the Major.”

“Alright. That’s enough. This is over.” Kylo announced, standing up.

Phasma was quick to follow, looking confused. “Sir?”

“I’m going to tell the Supreme Leader that Hux is ready to become General.” Kylo informed her, “I don’t need anymore time. I’ve only been here for a week and even I can see he’ll be a good leader. And besides, it’s not as if there isn’t a shortage of people to replace him should he fail.”

Phasma bristled at that, but the annoyance barely showed on her face. “I can assure you, Ren, he will not.”

Kylo didn’t reply, merely stalked from the room and walked the length of the _Dauntless_ back to his rooms. He had no doubt that Phasma was going to tell Hux what he was doing, and he didn’t regret telling her. Every officer he had questioned had said the same things, and from what he had seen from Hux in that short week, he was clearly good enough to be General. And Kylo wanted this mission over. He had an unsettling feeling growing in his chest the longer he spent with Hux and Techie. He already felt attached to the baby as well, and he had barely been there. Snoke may order him to stay for longer, but the Order needed a leader and they needed one now. He would listen. Kylo would make sure of it.

 _“He has not been fully tested yet,”_ Snoke’s responded when Kylo reached out to him, “ _I sensed you coming to tell me, my boy, but I want one further test.”_

“Supreme Leader?”

“ _I will order him into a troublesome area. Major Hux has been there before, and he has seen off many attacks to the Dauntless while in the area. An attack will happen again. And when it does,”_ Snoke paused, as he did sometimes for dramatic effect, and Kylo felt his mouth going dry. He had a bad feeling about what his master was going to say. “ _You will take the child. Hide him somewhere safe, but somewhere they cannot find him. It will be reported to the Major that his brother is missing. With enemies attacking his ship and his child missing, we shall see how he handles this small crisis. It will give some insight into how he will deal with the bigger crises that can face a General.”_

“I…he will not be happy about this, Supreme Leader. It does not seem wise.” Kylo stated.

“ _Do not argue with me, my boy. Do as I command and I will accept your findings. Major Hux will become General Hux before the boy has even turned one.”_

“I was going to suggest a trial period, Supreme Leader.” Kylo said quickly before Snoke could withdraw from his mind, “To see if he would indeed be a good General. It’s a lot more pressure and a lot more work, and we will need to know. If he does not do well, then a public announcement has not been made and we do not look weak to our enemies. If he passes the trial period then we can announce it.”

Snoke was silent for a moment, and Kylo wondered if he had somehow crossed a line. When the Supreme Leader did speak, he sounded impressed rather than angry, and Kylo released the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding.

“ _That is a good idea, Kylo. Once he passes this next test, you shall inform him I am moving him to the Finalizer where he will act as a stand in General for now until the position is properly filled. He may know this is a test for him, if he asks. You will be co-commander, and therefore will still report to me how he does. And I can have meetings with him too a lot easier on the Finalizer.”_

“When should he receive the orders about this new test?” Kylo asked.

“ _Soon, they shall come through to his personal datapad. He is not to know this is a test, Kylo. He must believe this is a real crisis, and you must watch what he does.”_ Snoke ordered.

“Yes, Supreme Leader.” Kylo bowed his head and pulled himself out of his meditative state. Hux was not going to be happy when he realised this had all been a ploy. Kylo had no doubts that he would figure it out, but Techie was not going to come to harm, so he couldn’t be too annoyed. Snoke needed to know how he would react if Techie was put in harm’s way. This was the easiest way to test him.

Standing and heading back to the bridge, Kylo was once again thankful for his helmet. When the orders finally came through to Hux’s datapad, he wouldn’t have been able to hide his concern. Techie was napping, giving Kylo the perfect opportunity to take him.

“Second Lieutenant!” Hux called Rin over loudly, and she left her station and approached Hux, saluting as she reached him. “We have received new orders, and are going into an area where we have been attacked by pirates and other filth before. Set the course and alert the TIE fighters to be on alert. We are not far from the area anyway.”

“Yes Major!” Rin replied, saluting again and returning to her station.

Hux turned to Kylo. “Get off the bridge, Ren, I do not need extra personnel here when organising this new mission.”

“What new mission?” Kylo asked, feigning ignorance.

“News has come in that pirates are causing trouble for First Order supply ships a few parsecs from here.” Hux explained, reading the report off his datapad to Kylo, “We are going to intervene and take the pirates down. We should be there within the hour, the _Dauntless_ is a fast ship. Now, vacate the bridge. I will call you when we are done.”

Kylo knew he should argue, and he wanted to argue against leaving the bridge, but it helped his cause. In that hour, he could trick the baby monitor to believe that Techie was still there, take the child and hide him somewhere safe. Hux would undoubtabley check on Techie himself, or send someone to do so. He would then be discovered missing. And Kylo would have answers for Snoke.

Realising Hux was watching him with an odd expression on his face, Kylo turned and left the bridge without argument. He could feel Hux’s confusion following him, but shut it out of his head and headed for the turbolifts. This felt wrong. But Snoke had ordered it, and Kylo would do it if only to end this mission. _But this won’t end the mission,_ he reminded himself, _it’ll just move it to the Finalizer. Snoke still wants you to watch Hux during his trial period._

Cursing Brendol Hux’s name, Kylo entered the turbolift and stalked towards Hux’s room, hoping that Hux would respond the way Snoke wanted him to so this would be over and he could get the bitter taste out of his mouth.

\--

“Major Hux, we’ve located the pirates and we’re approaching them now.” Mitaka announced.

Hux nodded, “Very good Lance Corporal. Attempt to capture them using the tractor beam, and if that does not work, fire on them and destroy them. And Mitaka,” Hux lowered his voice and approached the man’s console. “Would you check on Techie for me please? I know he’s still sleeping but I just want to make sure he’s safe.”

“Of course, Major!” Mitaka nodded, a grim expression on his face, “Your instructions have been sent to the relevant teams. I shall go and check on Techie.”

Hux exhaled and crossed to the viewport. He could see the pirate ships, congregated a little way away from the _Dauntless_ , no doubt trying to formulate a plan to take on the ship, or escape. They would not get away. The TIE fighters aboard his ship contained many of the Special Forces, and they had not once let a prisoner escape them. The matter would be resolved quickly, and Hux could move on to another assignment. There were many political meetings that needed the attention of the leader of the First Order, and Hux had already come up with complete strategies to get the best for the Order. He needed power to put the plans into action, and for that he needed the Supreme Leader to finally let up about having Kylo on board. It was clear he was going to agree to Hux having the position, Hux was confident of that. And if Kylo argued against him, well, the boy was more of a fool than Hux thought. As his mind wandered to Kylo, the man himself appeared again on the bridge, to Hux’s chagrin.

His commlink beeped, a direct and private message from Mitaka. Hux answered it quickly, ignoring Kylo’s presence for now, “Yes, Lance Corporal.”

“ _Major, Techie is gone!”_ Mitaka’s panicked voice came through and a thrill of fear went through Hux at his words, _“There’s nothing out of place in the room and I don’t know how he got out, but he’s gone. I’ve searched everywhere in the room, Major and he’s no longer in side.”_

“Major!” Rin called out, interrupting Hux before he could reply to Mitaka. “The pirates have engaged us, sir. Permission to begin counter attack.”

“Permission granted!” Hux snapped. He crossed to Mitaka’s console, taking over from the missing Lance Corporal, and fired off orders to relevant areas of the ship quickly, before Rin had a chance to do so. “As for you, Lance Corporal, get back onto the bridge and back to your station. I will call for a droid to search for Techie but-.” Hux paused and looked directly at Kylo, his eyes narrowed. “I know he will be fine.”

“ _Major I…yes I shall be back shortly.”_ Cleverly deciding against arguing, Mitaka shut off their communication and Hux’s brain went into overdrive.

He left Mitaka’s station and crossed to the viewport. Kylo came up behind him, but didn’t say anything. Hux felt like he was being watched intently from behind that helmet. From here he could tell that the pirates had basic level ships, with shields that would not withstand the might of the _Dauntless’_ guns for long. They were clever enough not to come close enough to get caught in the tractor beam, and even seemed to know it’s reach, for some came close, fired off a round of gunfire at the ship and then sped away before the beam could close in on them.

It would be an easy fight. Hux was sure of it, even as the _Dauntless_ rocked slightly from the gunfire reflecting from her shields. The TIE fighters were on standby, not needed as of yet, and the gunners were doing a great job of keeping the pirates at bay. For a moment, Hux allowed himself to think of Techie.

“Major, what’s going on?” Kylo finally spoke and Hux jumped.

“We’re here to take out these pirates, who have decided to be stupid and attack.” Hux replied stiffly, “And Techie has gone missing.”

“Shouldn’t you be looking for him?” Kylo pressed.

“What I should be doing is commanding my ship against these kriffing barbaric scum!” Hux snapped, “My brother will be fine. There are only so many places he can get to, and even then the entire ship knows he is here, so if someone sees him they will get him and take him either to myself or back to my room! Now step back Ren and get out of the way!”

Kylo did step back, a little taken aback by Hux’s tone. The Major grabbed his commlink and spoke quickly into it, “Use the guns and canons to herd the pirates into the tractor beam!” He ordered, “Scramble a unit of TIE fighters to get behind them and cut off any escape. I want every single one captured. If capture is not an option, destroy the ship completely!”

No reply came, but Hux didn’t seem to have been expecting one. Turning back to the viewport, he watched as the gunners changed their tactics and began aiming for the edge of the pirates’ ships, giving them a very small area to fly in. The plan was a sound one, as the TIE fighters soon rushed all at once from the Hangar Bay like a swarm of angry bees, buzzing behind the pirates and forcing them forward with gunfire of their own.

In the end two of the pirate ships were destroyed and the remaining six were captured. Hux ran a hand through his hair and caught Mitaka’s eye as he turned. The Lance Corporal looked panicked, most likely due to Techie’s absence. Hux approached him.

“Inform Captain Phasma that prisoners are being brought aboard. They will need processing and taking to the cells. The ships will then need searching for anything precious, and any cargo. When they have been searched, dismantle any parts that may be useful and then destroy them.” He ordered. “And don’t worry.” Hux added quietly, “I assure you, Techie is fine. Isn’t that right, Ren?”

He turned to where Kylo was still standing by the viewport. Mitaka looked confused even as he sent the transmission Hux had ordered, glancing between his console and Kylo, who felt he looked like a smuggler caught in headlights.

“I don’t know what you mean Major,” He managed to choke out.

“I’m sure you don’t. Walk with me, please.” Hux demanded. He did not sound impress. He knew, Kylo cursed, he knew already what he had done.  
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice?” Hux asked coldly, confirming Kylo’s suspicions immediately as soon as they left the bridge. “I have a tracker fitted into the belt that Techie always wears with every outfit, I know where my brother is every minute of every day. So, imagine my surprise when his location went from his cot in my rooms, to your rooms next door. I assume you have an explanation for this behaviour, Ren.”

“I do.” Kylo nodded, “I told the Supreme Leader today that he should appoint you as a temporary General of the First Order, to give you a trial run in the position while looking after Techie. He agreed, after one final test. He sent you after the pirates personally so that the ship would be attacked, and he ordered me to take and hide Techie so you would get the news that your brother was taken.” He explained quickly, Hux’s expression growing more thunderous by the second. “I should have guessed that even in that situation you’d have a plan.”

“Of course, I knew it could be a possibility, especially when he learnt to walk.” Hux growled, “But the Supreme Leader decided to test my loyalty.”

“Not your loyalty.” Kylo corrected him, “But your ability to the put the most important needs first in a crisis. And you’ve proved to him right now that you were always prepared for this possibility. I will inform him, and you will soon be on the _Finalizer.”_

“Not that there was any doubt I would be. And this temporary position, how long does that last for?” Hux inquired, his anger still radiating from him. He was walking towards Kylo’s rooms, intent on getting his brother back while they were talking.

“I don’t know.” Kylo answered truthfully. “However long the Supreme Leader decides. He said that if all goes well, you’ll officially be General before Techie is one.”

“That gives me three weeks.” Hux calculated as he overrode the security for Kylo’s door with some quick taps at the wall panel and strode into the room, “Fine. I will show the Supreme Leader himself what I can do.”

Techie was sitting in a playpen in Kylo’s bedroom, Kylo having taken that as well from Hux’s room when he took the baby. He looked tired, since Kylo had disturbed his nap, and he was crying until Hux picked him up and bounced him on his hip.

The expression on Hux’s face, and the coldness in his eyes when he turned back to look at Kylo were nothing like Kylo had ever seen before, even in Snoke’s eyes. “If you ever, ever do this again, Ren, they’ll still be finding pieces of your body scattered throughout space decades later.” He hissed, hugging the sobbing Techie to him and stalking from the room. “I’ll be back for his things later.” Hux added before the door slid shut.

Taking off his helmet as soon as Hux was gone, Kylo wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed. The experiment had paid off, but he didn’t doubt Hux would have shot him in retaliation for leaving Techie alone, crying, in a room had he had a blaster to hand. Kylo settled onto his bed to calm himself before he contacted Snoke, and made plans to transfer to the flagship of the First Order, the _Finalizer._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's gonna be sexual tension in the next chapter
> 
> also there's a slightly changed summary for this fic now, as Hux is about to become General!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux takes the Finalizer, but it's not all smooth sailing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had to split this chapter into two! it was getting so long lmao  
> i'm still in the process of finishing the second part but it should be up in a day or two and it'll follow on directly from this one! And these two will be the last two chapters with Hux not being General!
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos!! I've added some warnings just in case there's nothing too bad in the chapter but just to be sure, they're in the end notes.

 

 

If there was one thing Kylo could say about Hux when he stepped onto the _Finalizer’s_ bridge for the first time in the General’s uniform, it was that the man looked good in black. The teal colour of the Major’s uniform had really brought out his eyes, and had given them an almost ethereal colour, but Hux looked like he had been born to wear black. No, Kylo corrected himself, he looked as if he had been born to wear this uniform. It fitted him perfectly, and added to the intimidating aura Hux managed with just his powerful glares.

Techie didn’t seem so sure of the colour. He had liked Hux’s old uniform because it had been colourful. Hux had left him in Mitaka’s care while he had changed, and he looked at Hux now with a strange expression, before eventually reaching out to be picked up. Hux swung him into his arms and brought their noses together gently. Techie’s face split into a beautiful smile and he babbled “dada” over again as Hux settled him on his hip and walked to the very end of the bridge where Lieutenant Colonel Datoo was waiting for him.

Kylo had done a brief reading of the man’s mind while they had been waiting for Hux to reappear and take command of the _Finalizer_ and it had become abundantly clear he did not like Hux. He respected him, and he would respect his position as temporary General, but he did not like him, or believe he deserved it. And when he saw Techie sitting on Hux’s hip, his lip curled into a sneer. Hux’s expression was moderately calm as he approached Datoo, his boots clicking authoritatively on the durasteel floor. Mitaka hovered nervously behind him, and there were two sets of officers at each station, one from Datoo’s crew and one from Hux’s.

Hux had had a meeting with Snoke prior to coming aboard the _Finalizer_ , a short holocall, but it had been enough for Hux to make his demands. If he was going to become General, temporary or not, he was going to work with his crew. It had been disruptive enough getting one set of officers used to working around a small child, but getting another one under the guise of General was undesirable. Mitaka was a given, since he was under Hux’s guidance as an officer, but Hux had demanded the rest of the officer crew be moved as well, including Phasma and her official contingent of Stormtroopers. Datoo’s crew, who had been looking after the _Finalizer_ while the First Order sought out a General, could move to the _Dauntless_ and take over his missions from there before finding him a position worthy of Lieutenant Colonel. Or even Colonel. Hux had spoken of promoting the man happily. He had used some choice words in the meeting, including a small part about needing to feel he could _trust_ the people working with him, after the attack by the pirates. It was a bold move, and Kylo had been sure Snoke would have refused, but he accepted the request, and told Hux he would have whatever crew he desired on the flagship.

Hux and his crew had arrived late last night, had been accommodated as best they could. And so the following morning, Datoo had gotten the news that Hux was coming to take over, and his crew had gotten the news that they were being moved from the coveted _Finalizer_ to the _Dauntless_. It was still a well-known ship, and getting officer positions aboard her had been notoriously difficult, but it was also a step down for many of the officers and as such many were finding it difficult to hide their dark looks as Hux stalked past.

“Lieutenant Colonel Datoo,” Hux greeted the man smoothly, and Kylo could sense his smugness, “A pleasure to meet you again.”

Yes, it is, Major…forgive me, General Hux.” Datoo replied, saluting Hux.

Hux’s eyes narrowed at the intentional slip up but he let it slide and shifted his grip on Techie. “I see you’ve kept my ship in good order. I can thank you for that, but your presence is no longer needed. As you can see, my officers are ready to take control, and the _Dauntless_ is waiting for a crew.”

“I understand my orders, General.” Datoo said stiffly, “But this is only a temporary position, so don’t get too comfortable.”

“Why Lieutenant Colonel,” Hux drawled, smirking at Datoo’s forwardness, “Whoever told you this was only a temporary measure is mistaken. The _Finalizer_ is, and always has been, my ship. I’m sure she won’t miss a simple caretaker.”

Hux had not lowered his voice as Datoo had when it came to the insult, and there was a low murmur through Datoo’s crew at Hux’s forwardness. They soon fell silent when Hux’s gaze fell on them.

“I’m sure many of you believe moving from the _Finalizer_ to the _Dauntless_ will bring you less honour within the First Order, but this is not true. The _Dauntless_ will continue to be the foremost ship of our navy, and as her officers you will bring many systems under our control, and expand our great Order. That is the greatest honour you can carry.” He spoke loudly, posture perfect as he stood in front of them all, with an eleven-month-old child on his hip. Most of the officers had been unaware of Techie’s existence, and as such most were drawn to looking at him other than Hux. Some were nervously looking at Kylo standing by Hux’s elbow. Even so, Hux commanded their attention as he spoke.   
“Work as hard as you can and you may win your position back here aboard this ship. There is no shortage of spaces in the First Order navy, and the _Finalizer_ is bigger than the _Dauntless._ Now, you will have today to prepare your things and then tomorrow, transport will take you to your new ship. Officers, dismissed.”

There was no room for argument, and they all filed out, leaving only Hux’s crew behind. Datoo did not move, and Hux said nothing, turning from him and surveying the area around the viewport. Kylo looked with him.

“I think Techie would like his playpen here,” Hux mused, gesturing to the corner of the viewport, which gave him an unobstructed view of space but put him out of the way of the walkways.

“Did you bring his toys? I can set it up.” Kylo suggested.

Hux shot him a cold look, “Don’t forget your place, Ren, when it comes to Techie. You lost my trust when you tried to hide him, and trust has to be earned.”

Kylo rolled his eyes under his helmet. Techie giggled. Datoo cleared his throat and Hux turned to him with another cold stare.

“So, you are Lord Ren, the Supreme Leader’s apprentice?” Datoo inquired, ignoring Hux and focusing on Kylo.

“I am.” Kylo replied shortly.

“Perhaps you can walk with me,” Datoo requested, “I’m sure neither of us is much use to _General_ Hux right now.”

Hux looked very much like he wanted to roll his eyes and sigh, but he held his expression at a mixture of neutral and cold as Datoo waited for Kylo’s answer.

“Why not.” Kylo decided, stepping forward to follow Datoo from the bridge. Hux beckoned Mitaka over as they walked away, and they began talking quietly about getting Techie’s playpen and bridge safe toys set up quickly so they didn’t disrupt what could be called a routine too much. Datoo waited until they had left the bridge and were no longer in earshot of any Hux’s men before speaking.

“You hold the Supreme Leader’s ear, do you not?” He asked.

Kylo frowned, “Not in the way you mean. The Supreme Leader gives me orders and training.”

“But he did ask you to decide if Major Hux was suitable for the role of General.” Datoo said, “Why else would you have come with him from the _Dauntless_. So, you must be able to suggest candidates.”

“Do you mean yourself?” Kylo inquired darkly, already not liking the direction this conversation was going. “The Supreme Leader asked me to watch Major Hux because he had already made his decision on who he wanted to be General, and the higher officers of the Order would have to follow said decision. There is no room for argument.”

“Perhaps not.” Datoo responded casually, picking up on Kylo’s tone and choosing his words carefully, “But I did wonder why someone like Major Hux was chosen, and at such a young age. Tell me, Lord Ren, do you know how many ranks he is skipping going from Major to General?”

“I assume yours is one of them?” Kylo replied drily, “But no, I’m not well versed on the ranks in the First Order.

“As I expected.” Datoo nodded, “After Major comes Lieutenant Colonel, which is my own rank. Following on comes Colonel, Brigadier, Major General, Lieutenant General and then finally, General.”

“So it’s six ranks higher.” Kylo stated, doing the math quickly in his head as Datoo spoke. There wasn’t as much bitterness in his voice now Kylo had made it clear Hux was always the favourite to win the title. Another quick sweep of the man’s mind confirmed to Kylo what he had sensed before, he respected Hux on some level. And he was a proud and methodical officer, and he would have worked with Hux if the two hadn’t been vying for the same position. Below the surface, Datoo was extremely impressed by the idea of Starkiller Base, but was worried it may turn out too like the previous Death Stars to be successful. He was an interesting character, Kylo thought, tied to his preference for perfect military procedure so much that he was handing over the _Finalizer_ without argument, but being daring enough to step just over the line by asking Kylo for his opinion, and his blessing it seemed.   
“Does it bother you?”

“It’s never been done.” Datoo murmured, “In the history of the Order, or the Empire, or the Galaxy as far as I am aware. General Hux is not yet thirty, and he has not had the same sort of experience of some of the other officers. His intelligence and his intuition will serve him well, and Starkiller may well become of the most powerful weapons the Galaxy has ever seen but it’s a lot of pressure. Young shoulders might not carry it so well.”

“On the contrary, young shoulders might be what we need.” Kylo said fiercely, feeling a little insulted himself since he was four years younger than Hux, “Old shoulders shake too easily when you apply enough _pressure._ ”

Datoo understood his words immediately, for he drew up sort and turned to face Kylo. He did not look pleased, not as skilled as Hux at schooling his features, but he did not argue again the next time he spoke.

“It was a pleasure meeting you Lord Ren. We are aware you shall become co-commander as well. I hope you can get through the paperwork easily enough.” Before Kylo could speak again, Datoo disappeared into a turbolift and left Kylo standing in an empty corridor.

Closing his eyes, Kylo felt for Hux’s consciousness to lead him back to the bridge, and discovered they hadn’t actually walked that far during their discussion. The bridge was a bustle of activity, since the _Finalizer_ was currently docked since she was undergoing system checks before the Order released her on the Galaxy. Hux and Mitaka had set up Techie’s playpen and toys, and the baby was happily playing with a toy lizard of some sort as Hux glared down at his datapad.

“What’s bothering you?” Kylo inquired, stopping by Hux’s elbow and making him jump. He clearly hadn’t been expecting him to just appear, engrossed in his reading as he was.

“The amount of paperwork I need to do.” Hux replied, but his eyes wandered over to Techie, “And I don’t think he’s feeling too well. The lawyer didn’t know what sort of vaccines he’d had, and he doesn’t have any concrete medical records so it’s hard to guess. I know what he should have had, especially for prolonged space travel but…I suppose my father didn’t plan to die quite as soon as he did.”

“Can you not just take him to Medbay and get him done now?”

Hux shook his head, “It’s dangerous. And there are a lot. I need to do them slowly. I’ll keep my eye on him today and decide what to do tomorrow. I’m about to tour the ship, I never got a chance when she was finally finished. Would you like to come?”

The offer was tentative, and quiet, and Kylo sensed something off about the way Hux had asked it. He was still angry over Kylo’s antics with the pirates, but at the same time he was a little eager to get back into the same routine as before, where he, Techie and Kylo had spent time together in the evenings. Techie loved Kylo, and Hux wasn’t blind to how much Kylo loved Techie as well even after a week. And Hux saw the calculation in such a move, in keeping Kylo close. Snoke trusted Kylo’s word, and Hux was going to use that in any way he could. Kylo knew now, but it wasn’t to say he would recognise it in the future.

“Well, since I’ll be co-commanding the _Finalizer_ , I should get used to it.” Kylo replied.

“Ah yes, about that.” Hux said as he went to pick up Techie and a few toys to keep him occupied, “This is my ship, Ren. I designed her. I helped fund her creation. You may be ‘co-commanding’ the Order by Snoke’s design, but you are not co-commanding this ship. The crew is loyal to me, and me alone. They will tolerate you, but they will not follow your orders unless absolutely necessary. You hold no officer rank in the Order, and that means something.”

“You can’t go against a direct order from the Supreme Leader.” Kylo argued, following Hux as he stalked off the bridge after informing Mitaka and Rin – who had recently been informed she would become Major in Hux’s place – what he was doing.

“Like I said, you can ‘co-command’ the Order.” Hux shrugged, “But this is my ship Ren. I fought hard to get here, and I didn’t have your…unnatural abilities to help me.”

“Hux I understand that you’re feeling threatened right now.” Kylo snapped, “But I’m going to command this ship with you whether you like it or not.”

“Just try it.” Hux hissed. “I told you, the crew are all loyal to me. You will find it difficult.”

“Arguing like an old married couple already?” Datoo’s voice interupted them before Kylo could get another word in, and they turned to find him coming from a turbolift and walking towards them. “I remembered that a guided tour was promised to you, and as I know this ship I shall give it myself.”

“Please do.” Hux nodded, seemingly a lot more graceful now than before. Kylo decided to peek in his head and see what he was really thinking.

_I could give a better tour of this ship blindfolded and bound._

“Is everything alright, Lord Ren?” Datoo inquired, confused as Kylo spluttered in his attempt to stop laughing at Hux’s thoughts.

“Quite.” He managed, biting his lip hard to stop the word coming out in a bark of laughter. Hux shot him a quizzical and withering look and Techie had jumped at the noise and was watching Kylo silently, pointing at him. Seeing him lying calmly on Hux’s shoulder, one arm holding Hux’s uniform and the other lazily pointing at Kylo before falling limp at his side did strike Kylo as odd. Normally at this time Techie would be energetic, wanting to get down and crawl and play himself, and Hux would allow him to do so and get work done. He seemed more lethargic than normal. Hux was right, there was definitely something off about him.

Datoo lead them through the ship in a methodical fashion, only taking them to the important parts. Hux explained to Kylo that the _Finalizer_ was large and touring the entire thing from top to bottom would take more than a day. They didn’t need to see it all, and if Kylo wished to peruse the ship and see every nook and cranny he was free to do so when they weren’t on such a tight schedule. He had followed wordlessly after that, and hadn’t missed Hux’s smirk. Techie had fallen asleep by the time they got to the last part of their tour, which was a large officer’s training room, with weights, exercise equipment and large, padded mats for physical training. If Kylo hadn’t been wearing his helmet his companions would have seen his face light up at the sight, he loved training rooms such as this. It was empty at the moment and Kylo was tempted to leave the tour there and allow Datoo and Hux to go back to the bridge alone. When he felt the anger, annoyance and worry rolling off Hux he realised it might be such a good idea. If Datoo made one wrong move he’d probably be ejected from an airlock before they got the bridge.

The rest of the day actually passed smoothly considering the hostile atmosphere whenever Datoo and Hux were in the same room together. Datoo avoided Hux most of the time, and Hux stayed on the bridge, working steadily through the paperwork that had built up while the Order had been trying to decide on a General. The officers worked to get used to their new consoles and have the tests done as quickly as possible for the _Finalizer_ could launch into space and make herself known. Nothing else had happened and eventually Hux retired for the night with Techie and Kylo followed not soon after.

The following morning Datoo and his crew left the _Finalizer,_ watched by Hux and his more senior officers, as well as Kylo and Phasma and of course Techie. The boy had refusing to sleep during the night, Hux had told Kylo that morning when Kylo had brought them breakfast and had then refused to eat. Hux had eventually settled for giving Techie bits and pieces of biscuit as and when the boy wanted them, but by this point his stress levels had been through the roof, and Kylo had been concerned by how he was managing to remain so calm. When the other crew were gone, Hux ordered the officer’s back to work and he himself returned to the mountain of paperwork he had to sort through. Phasma approached him to discuss the number of Stormtroopers they would be keeping aboard the ship, as there was plenty of room for more on top of what they already had. Hux had told her to submit the request in writing, mark it as urgent, and he’d get the recruiters on it first thing. It was clear Phasma was less than pleased by how Hux dismissed her, but Kylo knew she saw as well how his stress levels were rising as more and more paperwork appeared before him.

It didn’t help that he had to keep going around the ship and inspecting the parts the technicians were currently working on to make sure they were up to standard. The technicians, who had never met him before, soon found out he was a force to be reckoned with when he snapped at them for calling him to such mundane tasks. He was not a technician, he shouted, so if they had done their job properly they shouldn’t need his opinion. The calls became less frequent as the day came on and Hux could refocus again on the paperwork. Kylo felt a bit useless, since he wasn’t given any of the paperwork to do – something he was glad of because admin had never been his strong suit. Hux still didn’t completely trust him with Techie, so he couldn’t play with the boy, not that Techie wanted to play. He wanted to be glued to Hux’s side constantly, and cried whenever Hux attempted to put him down. Even Mitaka couldn’t calm him, so Hux resigned himself to carrying the eleven-month-old everywhere. Despite this Techie had continued crying on and off all day, and Hux had eventually retired to his office to avoid the noise disrupting the work on the bridge.

The end of the shift eventually rolled around and Kylo left the bridge to go to his quarters. He really wanted to use the training room Datoo had shown them on the tour of the ship, but first he had a feeling he needed to check on Hux. It would be easy, since their quarters had been put in the same corridor, although Hux hadn’t planned it to be so. Kylo had felt Hux’s stress building to an impossible level during the entire day, even when he had eventually retired to his own rooms from his office hoping this would comfort Techie a little more. Reaching the room, Kylo pressed the call button on the keypad to get Hux to unlock the door. It slid open after a moment and Kylo was greeted with a mess. Techie’s things and Hux’s things were still packed into boxes although there were toys and games strewn about the floor that Techie had abandoned in favour of Hux. He was standing in the middle of the room, holding Techie to him as the boy screamed, bouncing him on his hip and looking as if he were about to burst into tears. Kylo didn’t need to look into Hux’s mind to know that the man was on the verge of a breakdown brought on by Techie’s incessant crying, but he took a peak anyway. Techie hadn’t done this before in the last three weeks and Hux had no knowledge of children so he was completely out of his depth. He hadn’t had a moment to himself since arriving on the _Finalizer_ to be able to tidy away their things and the mess in his rooms was only adding to his stress, as he liked everything ordered, methodical and clean. He wanted Techie to stop crying.

Stepping into the room and letting the door slide shut, Kylo didn’t say anything, just reached over and took Techie’s from Hux’s arms and bounced him on his hip. Hux let him go gladly despite his distrust of Kylo. The baby looked exhausted due to his refusal to nap, but a quick check told Kylo he was otherwise fine. He wasn’t hungry, his nappy was fresh and he was merely feeling clingy because this was a new space and he was unfamiliar with it. He was also in pain because of his teeth. Hux’s eyes were focused on the mess all over the floor.

“Why did I think I could do this?” He asked suddenly, looking up at Kylo with his teary green eyes, “Why? It’s been one day, one day and I’m already falling apart. There’s a mountain of paperwork that needs completing, he won’t stop crying and I just…I’m falling apart. The Supreme Leader is a fool for thinking I could do this! I’m a fool! I told myself when I joined the officer’s ranks of the Order that I would no longer be weak, that I would become General and bring the Galaxy to heal but how I am supposed to do that when he won’t stop crying!”

By the end of his rant Hux was shouting. This only served to make Techie cry louder, scared of Hux’s sudden change in attitude. Kylo understood. He had mood swings like this often, and he knew Hux was feeling overwhelmed because of Techie. The paperwork he could deal with, but the lack of sleep, the lack of knowledge about children, wondering why Techie had been screaming all day without an answer, it was too much for him to bear on top of the stress of suddenly being General. Hux had not once let the stress of looking after a child out. Kylo himself didn’t have much more experience, but having had a younger cousin who would cry for a full day for the same sort of reasons as Techie, he had dealt with this sort of thing before. He needed to remain calm. Snoke would be unimpressed if Hux had a mental breakdown after his first day.

Quickly, Kylo formulated a plan. “Stay here Hux, just go into the bedroom where it’s clean and take a deep breath.” He ordered.

“Where are you going?!” Hux demanded.

“I’m going to take Techie to my rooms and get him to sleep.” Kylo replied.

“No.” Hux snapped, “No you’re not taking him! I can get him to sleep!”

“I don’t trust you to do that right now. And you shouldn’t trust yourself.” Kylo said firmly, “He’s in pain because of his teething Hux, and this is an unfamiliar environment. He’s also exhausted, and I can sooth him to sleep using the Force. But I don’t want him to be in this room because afterward I’m going to help you tidy up and get the room however you want it to be, and it’ll disturb him.”

“I can’t trust you with him Ren!” Hux stated harshly, “I can’t.”

“I had to follow orders.” Kylo replied as calmly as he could. “Just like you do Hux, like we all do as members of the First Order under the Supreme Leader. I couldn’t have turned around and refused him. I’m sorry I took Techie and deceived you, but you have to trust me now.”

Hux didn’t reply straight away. He was crying, his shoulders shaking as he attempted to hold his sobs in, and he was ashamed for Kylo to see him this way. There was also a small amount of relief in him that it was Kylo and not any of his crew that were here. Finally he nodded, mutely giving Kylo permission to take Techie and calm him down.

Kylo summoned Techie’s cot, a cuddly animal, pyjamas and a sleepsuit with the Force and levitated it all in front of him as he left the room. The door to his own rooms he opened with the Force, but he let them slide shut of their own accord. Techie cried as Kylo undressed him, cried as he changed his nappy, cried when he redressed him in the pyjamas and cried when Kylo lay him in the cot. He struggled up and pulled himself to a standing position on the bars of the cot, crying for Kylo to pick him back up. With a gentle touch, Kylo allowed the Force to run through Techie’s body, soothing the pain of his sore teeth and calming him down. Techie’s cries slowly subsided and his eyes grew heavy. Kylo lay him back down, handed him a dummy that had been in the cot, and waited until Techie had fallen asleep. As he made to leave he realised he had forgotten the baby monitor. The door to his rooms opened suddenly and Hux appeared, handing the monitor to him before turning and stalking away back to his own quarters. Kylo had to resist a fond smile as he set up the device, making sure it captured Techie in full view before switching the small handheld part of the monitor on. With Techie dealt with and sleeping peacefully, it was time for him to deal with Hux.

Kylo sighed.

He was tired.

Hux was calmer when Kylo re-entered the rooms. He had moved some of the boxes to the bedroom and was unpacking clothes. Kylo moved to help him.

“Don’t.” Hux said quickly. “Let me do this myself. If you…I don’t know where I want everything yet.”

“Okay.” Kylo nodded and stepped back. He watched Hux flit around the room, unpacking things and putting them away, then moving them to a different space.

These rooms were bigger than the ones he had had on the _Dauntless_ and there was a handy storage cupboard where he put all of Techie’s toys. He kept some of them out, setting up a corner of the room near the desk as a play area already. He spread the foam shapes on the floor as protection and then set another playpen up around the edge to keep Techie contained. Hux dug through one of the bags and withdrew a few folded, cloth items that he merely lay next to the pen, and a few of the jigsaws and blocks and walkers that Techie had went inside the playpen. It took him an hour to clear away all their things, and by the time he was done he was extremely calm and relaxed, although Kylo could sense that he wasn’t safe from having another meltdown.

“How is he?” Hux asked, approaching Kylo who had removed his helmet and taken a seat on the couch in the room with the monitor.

“He’s sleeping.” He replied, handing it over to Hux. “Did you mean what you said?”

“Which bit?”

Hux was deflecting, but Kylo would humour him if needed to. “The part about not being able to do this.”

“I don’t know.” Hux murmured truthfully, picking at the hem of his tunic as he spoke. “I don’t know.” He repeated, “I thought…I thought I could. But one day, one day with him crying uncontrollably and I can’t take it. I broke down. What if that happens and I need to make an important call. What do I do?”

“Hux, I’m going to use your own words to make the best argument in your defence.” Kylo began, smirking when Hux shot him an annoyed look. “This is your first day as General. It’s also your first day dealing with Techie when he isn’t feeling so well. Considering the state of the Order because they have been without a leader, it’s understandable that it’s stressful. But it’s one day. You will learn how to deal with Techie when he’s on his off days. And you will learn to multitask with ease. All parents do.”

“I’m not a parent. I’m not even a guardian. I’m just…failing my way through somehow looking after him.” Hux scoffed, “Stars, how we’ve even come this far without incident is-.”

“Impressive.” Kylo interupted. “I don’t know much about your father, Hux, but I’ve heard stories and rumours. And from what your crew told me about your reaction to his death, I know you didn’t get along. He probably left Techie to you in a hope that it would disgrace you, and cause you to fail. You’ve said so yourself. But look at you.” Kylo paused, standing up and beckoning for Hux to follow him. The General did, trailing behind him over to the viewport where Kylo gestured out at the stars. “You’re General of the First Order. Supreme Leader Snoke says this is temporary, to test you, but really he’s just biding his time to give you the position. And you’re General with Techie at your side. You didn’t fail, or show weakness to your father. But it’s a lot of pressure. That’s why you need help.”

“I have help.” Hux replied shortly, “Mitaka and Rin, and Phasma to an extent.”

“They all have their own duties. Let me help you.” Kylo countered, “I’m co-commander, we’ll be working closely together but I can watch Techie from time to time, I can help give you a break.”

Hux turned away from the viewport. He wanted to argue, but Kylo knew he was mulling over the offer as well. One more bit of convincing and he would accept the offer and Kylo wouldn’t have to take the news to Snoke that Hux had actually been a failure and they needed to find another General.

“You had a contingency plan in case anything happened to Techie and the _Dauntless_ at the same time.” Kylo said firmly, “Well maybe it’s time you had a contingency plan for yourself as well. You’re not disposable General. The First Order needs you. And Techie needs you. I can help you.”

“I don’t like you, Ren.” Hux said, “I didn’t like you from the first moment we met but…you’re good with Techie. And he likes you. So…I’ll accept your offer. On a trial run. The same trial run that I am on right now as General. If I am unhappy with how it turns out by the time the Supreme Leader appoints me as General, then I shall withdraw from your help and you won’t offer it again. If this works…and I am happy with it then we can draw up a proper timetable.”

Kylo couldn’t help but huff slightly with laughter, “Of course you’d be considering a contingency plan for the contingency plan. I accept.” He held out his hand. Tentatively, Hux shook it. “And don’t worry General.” Kylo added, “Don’t be ashamed I saw you like this. Asking for help is not weakness. Acknowledgement of when you’re struggling is not weakness. It’s pride, and pretending everything is okay, that is the true weakness. Allow me to look after Techie tonight, so you can get a good night’s sleep.”

Hux shook his head. “I can’t. I need him in the room with me.”

“He’ll sleep the entire night because of the Force, so you’re welcome to use my room.” Kylo shrugged, “I can stay in here.”

“No.” Hux disagreed immediately. “Use the couch in your room, you’re not staying in mine alone.”

“Fine.” Kylo sighed. He was too tired to argue really, after all was said and done. Dealing with Hux was always tiring, but Kylo felt a strange sense of achievement. Snoke was convinced Hux was going to become General, and Kylo wanted to get him there. Part of it was because he felt like Snoke would hold him accountable if Hux failed, since Kylo had done nothing but advocate for him, but the other part of Kylo told him Hux would be a good leader.

Hux disappeared into his room and reappeared with some regulation pyjamas. He waited for Kylo to leave first and entered his rooms after Kylo did, looking and feeling nervous at being in there. He checked Techie was still sleeping, smiled fondly at him when he thought Kylo wasn’t looking and then disappeared into the ‘fresher. Kylo left him to arrange the bed when he was done, using the ‘fresher himself to brush his teeth and get ready for bed.

The couch in his room wasn’t entirely comfortable, but it wasn’t bad. Kylo was too long for it, but dangling his feet off the end solved the problem and didn’t make for an entirely uncomfortable way of sleeping. As Kylo was beginning to drift off he heard Hux clear his throat. Opening his eyes and glancing to the bedroom door he found the man wearing only a vest top and baggy grey jogging pants.

“Thank you.” He muttered, “For tonight,”

“Any time, General.” Kylo smiled, “We’re colleagues, remember?”

“Not all colleagues would do the same.” Hux retorted, albeit softly. He went back into the bedroom and closed the door before Kylo could reply, leaving the rooms in silence.

Taking a breath and wriggling to get comfy again, Kylo closed his eyes and slipped into an easy sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Panic attack on Hux's part


	4. One Year Old

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO STUPID!!! I POSTED CHAPTER FOUR AND COPIED THE WRONG WORD DOCUMENT INTO IT SO IT WAS JUST A SEX SCENE I WROTE BEFORE THE CHAPTER ITSELF WAS POSTED  
> I'M SO SORRY GUYS I BET THAT WAS CONFUSING!!!!!!  
> i deleted the old chapter and uploaded this one, so I'm sorry if I deleted anyone's comments!!
> 
> here is the actual chapter! the tags have been updated and this is the end of the pre-General Hux arc!

 

 

Hux and Techie were gone when Kylo woke in the morning, but the cot was still in his bedroom. His bed was neatly made and it didn’t look as if Hux had actually slept in it, but Kylo could tell he had because he could sense how calm Hux felt over in his own rooms. Stretching, Kylo stepped into the ‘fresher, showered, shaved and dressed before walking the short distance to Hux’s room. The door was unlocked, clearly the General had expected his presence. The scene he found tore him between dismay and amusement.

The room was a mess of toys again, but in a slightly more ordered way than the night before. The playpen Hux had set up in the corner was now in the middle of the floor and bigger than before. Techie was currently crawling back and forth through a tunnel, giggling excitedly to himself as he chased brightly coloured plastic balls that had escaped from his ball pit. Hux was sitting next to said pit, attempting to fix an oddly angled side. As Kylo stepped into the room, Hux ducked down to look at Techie through the tunnel, causing his brother to squeal in laughter and launch himself at him. The baby was definitely in a better mood, and so was Hux.

“You really have a lot of stuff.” Kylo grinned, picking his way through the toys inside the playpen to settle down at the opposite end of the tunnel. Techie turned at the sound of his voice, and started crawling quickly down back towards him, stopping halfway and turning around to glance back at Hux, who was still watching him as well. He sat down in the middle of the tunnel, unsure of who to crawl too.

“Phasma and Mitaka bring him new things every time they go planet side. Phasma does so more than Mitaka, and she’s never failed to bring him a present.” Hux explained, cursing as the edge of the ball pool refused to bend back the way he wanted it to.

“What happened to it?” Kylo inquired.

“He can crawl in and out of it, but when he crawls inside it he gets distracted halfway in and sits down, bending it. The sides aren’t really made for that.” Hux replied, “It’s not really that bad I just want to make sure there’s nothing sharp sticking out.”

“Can I see?” Kylo asked, holding out his hand, “I’m good at fixing things.”

Hux shrugged, “You may as well come over here, it’s easier than lifting the whole thing. The balls go all over the place if they fall out. There’s probably still some on board the _Dauntless_.”

Kylo chuckled, standing and moving over to Hux’s side. The General relinquished the ball pool too him, watching with his head leaning on his hands and elbows on his knees. He was definitely more relaxed this morning.

“Did you sleep well?” Kylo murmured, examining the broken edge.

“Mm. Thank you.” Hux nodded, “So did Techie. I…appreciate it.”

“I know.”

Techie interupted them, crawling out of the tunnel with a wooden block in one hand. He offered it to Kylo.

“Ta.” He said.

When Hux nodded, Kylo took the block and said “Ta” in response. Techie’s face scrunched into a smile and he held out his hand for the block back. Hux nodded again, so Kylo handed it back and Techie repeated the word “Ta!” before banging the wooden block against the floor. The foam under him absorbed most of the impact, so Techie abandoned the block and crawled to Kylo instead. He pulled himself up to a standing position using Kylo’s knees, his back bent to balance himself, and began murmuring “da da da da da!” as he did.

“He’s definitely attached to you, would you like to keep him?” Hux joked, the edge of a genuine smile on his lips. Kylo took the opportunity to properly look him over. He was still wearing his vest and jogging pants from the night before, and his hair was messed up from sleep. It was a good look on him. Hux himself was extremely good looking. Kylo had thought it from the first moment he had seen him, and it was only getting more evident the more he saw of Hux. Even here, kneeling on the floor and attempting to organise Techie’s toys into a more organised pile, he was attractive.

Every toy Hux picked up Techie decided he wanted, falling onto his butt with an “oh” sound. Hux didn’t deny him, and soon the boy was buried in a pile of toys and was giggling.

“Did you sleep okay on the couch?” Hux asked, avidly contemplating Techie as he spoke to avoid Kylo’s gaze.

“It’s actually not that bad.” Kylo laughed, “What are you doing today?”

“I spoke with the Supreme Leader this morning and explained the situation with Techie. He agreed that since there is so much paperwork to deal with, I can work from my officer, or my rooms if need be, as long as I take Techie to Medbay during my downtime. The _Finalizer_ will launch when I have been officially appointed as General, so for now it is not so important that I appear on the bridge.” Hux spoke quietly, and Kylo picked up on his shame. Hux wanted to be at the head of things, he wanted to be on top of everything straight away, but last night had proven to him that becoming General was not going to be as smooth for him as being a Major was.

“So, it’s like, an unofficial sick day?” Kylo teased, hoping to goad Hux out of his shame.

It worked, the other man bristling at the assumption. “I’ve never taken a sick day in my life.” He said flatly, “I have always been able to meet my work quota.”

“But now you’re General you can do it from the comfort of your rooms and there’s no one above you to do anything about it?” Kylo continued, a grin on his face.

Hux glared at him, but there was a slight twinkle in his eye that told Kylo he knew this was all a joke to make him feel better. “Well why aren’t you on the bridge?” He asked.

“I thought this was your ship?” Kylo countered, “What would your crew say if they thought you were hiding behind the scenes and I was running the show.”

Hux scoffed, “They’d never think that.”

Raising an eyebrow at him in a questioning way, Kylo glanced at the tunnel that Techie had crawled back into. Using the Force he shook it lightly and an explosive giggle came from inside it. Hux glared at him, startled by the sudden movement. When Kylo stopped doing it, Techie hit the sides to make him do it again.

“What can I say, he likes it?” Kylo asked innocently, making the tunnel shake again even as Hux’s glare became colder.

“Just don’t make him sick I managed to feed him this morning.” Hux warned.

“Okay.”

The tunnel slowly stilled, even when Techie hit the sides. Kylo directed his attention to the stuffed giraffe toy that Phasma had brought Techie from her most recent mission. He made it stand up and prance to the end of the tunnel so it was in Techie’s view.

“Hi Techie!” Kylo said, trying to modify his deep voice to be a bit higher so it was more attractive to a child. Techie stared in wonder at the giraffe. Hux looked decidedly less impressed. “Want to play?”

Techie squealed and set off towards the giraffe quickly. Kylo allowed him to grab the toy briefly and examine it to try and find out how it was working, before making its head turn to look at Techie as well.

“Let’s go!”

The giraffe then galloped away from Techie, paused and waited for him to follow. It didn’t take long, and soon Techie was chasing it around the entire playpen, weaving in and out of toys trying to catch it. Hux watched for a while before pulling out a datapad and flicking through it. It took nearly forty-five minutes before Techie began to glance at Kylo, giving him a questioning, rather pouty look. Eventually, he ignored the prancing giraffe and crawled over to Kylo himself. He crawled onto his knee and slapped at his hands. The giraffe fell down. Techie looked rather triumphant, or as triumphant as an eleven-month-old could, and clapped for himself.

“He’s…really clever.” Kylo said, surprised. “How did he know it was me?”

“You answered your own question.” Hux said distantly, although he was smirking. When Techie made a huffing noise, Hux looked up and smiled. “Clever boy.” He praised, clapping his hands lightly. Techie grinned too and clapped again, evidently happy he was getting attention from Hux. He abandoned Kylo and crawled over to his brother instead, reaching for the datapad and pulling it towards his mouth. Hux seemingly materialised another, smaller one out of nowhere, holding his out of Techie’s reach, and loading a sensory game onto the smaller one for him.  
“Your experience with children really does astound me.” Hux added drily, “Did you really help look after your cousin that much?”

“I was interested back then.” Kylo admitted, “It was cool I suppose? To have a baby cousin and be trusted to look after her. I remember some stuff I was taught.”

Hux didn’t pry further. He was good at reading people even without any Force sensitivity and he knew from Kylo’s expression he didn’t want to further pursue the subject. Besides, he wasn’t that great with kids. He watched as Hux worked, only pausing occasionally to give Techie some attention when the little Hux demanded it. It was an awkward exchange, born from neither one knowing how to interact with the other, but it worked and Techie was happy. Hux was content, but the stress was beginning again as he worked his way through various reports.

“This is stupid.” He muttered under his breath, “Finding a suitable planet for Starkiller should be top priority for the Order right now. Plans will not bring us the Galaxy!”

“Relax, my Knights are also searching for a planet among their other duties.” Kylo put in.

Hux jumped. He had become so engrossed in his work he had forgotten Kylo was there.

“I need to put more resources into finding a planet.” He said eventually, “We’re gathering resources to create the weapon and the base and we don’t even have anywhere to do so.”

“We’ll find somewhere, the Supreme Leader is sure of it.” Kylo said firmly.

Hux let out a breath and stretched before standing. Techie watched him and tried to follow suit, but Hux shook his head, squatting down and getting Techie to sit back down. “I’m only going for a shower Techie, you can stay here with Ren.”

At the word Ren, Techie looked over at Kylo and smiled. He almost seemed to be nodding along with Hux’s words.

“Do you mind? Even if I am going to stay here all day I want to be presentable.” Hux asked. He was avoiding Kylo’s eyes again, embarrassed, but he recalled their conversation from the previous night about asking Kylo for help.

“Sure I’ll watch him. How hard can it be?” Kylo joked.

Hux rolled his eyes and scooped Techie into his arms. He whispered something to him, and Kylo was sure it was something like “give him hell”, but without hearing it he couldn’t confirm it. Setting Techie back down on the floor, Hux stepped over the playpen and crossed to his bedroom, closing the door as he went inside. Kylo stared at Techie, who had gone right back to playing. It was hard, trying to imagine Hux looking like Techie did right now, all pudgy cheeked and wide eyed and happy. Hux had smiled a few times in Kylo’s presence, but there was always something on the edge of the smile, a tightness that told Kylo he didn’t smile often, and even when he did it was involuntary and he was unhappy about doing so. Techie smiled randomly and smiled happily and he was perfect for it. Hux probably hadn’t been a very smiley baby.

Blinking, Kylo frowned when he realised Techie had moved and was now standing next to him, holding on to the side of the playpen.

“You’re too fast, kid.” He laughed, picking up a soft toy and handing it to him.

Techie looked at the toy, then up at Kylo, then held out both hands and took it from him.

Kylo stared.

Techie had taken both hands off the playpen and was standing without holding anything except the toy, which was not attached to anything that could help his balance.

“Hux!” He cried, not wanting to disturb Techie and cause him to fall over but also not wanting Hux to miss this if he had never stood before.

The bedroom door burst open and Hux came running out. He had clearly just gotten into the shower as his hair was dripping wet, and he was wearing nothing but a small towel around his waist that left little to the imagination. He looked panicked.

“What?!” He demanded, “What happened?”

“He’s um…standing.” Kylo pointed out sheepishly. Of course Hux would have assumed the worst when Kylo just called his name.

The panic disappeared from Hux in an instant though, and he stared at Techie with his mouth open. Techie seemed to notice suddenly that their attention was on him. He looked up and saw Hux and Kylo staring, and promptly fell onto his bum with another “oo” sound.

“Were you…holding him up?” Hux asked in a hushed tone. Kylo could feel his excitement and pride rolling off him as he took a few steps closer to the edge of the playpen.

“No, he was standing by himself. Has he never done that before?” Kylo asked.

Hux shook his head. “No. I don’t know when he started crawling, but he’s never stood before. I was worried he wasn’t developing properly but…this is amazing.” He knelt down at the edge of the play area and Techie crawled over to him.  
“Well done, Techie.” He said warmly, kissing the little boy’s forehead and tickling his chin. Techie laughed loudly and mumbled random noises as he tried to grab hold of the water dripping from Hux’s hair. “You’re so clever.”

“He’ll be walking in no time. I’ll keep my eye on him, if he does anything else I’ll yell.” Kylo said, unable to keep his eyes from roaming Hux’s body.

Hux looked up in time to catch him, and instead of a biting remark he flushed slightly and stood up a little too hastily. “I won’t be long.” He mumbled, turning and walking a little too quickly back into the bedroom.

His embarrassment was plain to see and Kylo thought he knew why. He was strong, and built, and even under the layers of his clothing it was easy to see. Hux had also seen him in vest tops before during the week they had spent together on the _Dauntless_ before moving to the _Finalizer_. There was power in Kylo’s body, and it wasn’t just the Force. Hux on the other hand was skinny. He had muscle, but it was lean and wiry. The uniform of the First Order leant itself to Hux’s form, made him seem bigger and more impressive. Commandant Hux would have wanted a son built more like Kylo, he was sure of it. But Hux was handsome. Kylo couldn’t get the image of him standing there in just a towel out of his head.

Hux’s skin was pale, but looked smooth and soft. There had been a light trail of ginger hair from his bellybutton down under the towel, and scars as well. Kylo had never imagined Hux to have had any sort of physical military experience, but from what he knew of the Academies of the Order, classmates were encouraged to kill and attack their classmates. Brendol Hux had been a ruthless man, some of those scars could have come from him.

Techie distracted Kylo by falling over as he tried to stand. His head thumped against the foam blocks and there was a sudden silence before he began crying. Immediately Kylo swept him into his arms and gently cradled the part of his head that Techie had banged. Using the Force he soothed the pain, hoping to stop Techie from crying before Hux once again abandoned his shower. Techie sniffled as the pain disappeared and leant his head against Kylo’s shoulder.

 _How did this happen?_ Kylo wondered as he bounced Techie slightly to keep him quiet. _How did I get so attached to Techie…and sort of Hux? This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wonder if the Supreme Leader knows._

Of course Snoke would know but somehow Kylo didn’t care. He was there to co-command the Order, and if co-commanding meant helping Hux parent Techie then it did. He was oddly at peace with that.

Hux came out of the bedroom a second later, fully dressed in his General’s uniform, with his hair dried and styled. He was frowning, having clearly heard Techie’s cries, and crossed over to Kylo immediately. Techie threw himself at him, but Kylo had a good enough grip to keep him from falling and passed him over instead into Hux’s waiting arms.

“Did he bang his head?” Hux asked.

“Yeah. I soothed it a little bit.” Kylo admitted. “Do you need anything?”

“No.” Hux shook his head, “But…I wanted to thank you again for last night. I’ll come and collect the cot later when he’s ready for a nap.”

“You could…leave it there?” Kylo suggested softly, “I mean, he’s not far away if something does happen, and it gives you a little bit of space.”

Hux didn’t even consider it as an option, “No. He needs to be near me. I can’t take the chance of him being that far away, even if it only across the corridor. Besides this ship is unknown to him, it would scare him.”

“Okay well, we can always get a second cot, in case you need to put him down somewhere with me.” Kylo shrugged, “I wouldn’t mind, there’s enough room.”

Hux stared at him incredulously. He had taken Kylo’s offer of help seriously, but there was also a part of him that disliked Kylo and wanted to do this for himself. The idea that Kylo, this stranger who had barely been in their life over a week was so open to having Techie in his life was strange to him.

“It’s not a concrete thing,” Kylo said quickly, “It’s just something you can consider. Hux you’re General of the First Order now. The Order needs you at your best. And I’m your co-commander. We share the burden. Now whether that burden takes the shape of the Resistance, a stubborn planet that won’t bow to us or a child that is far too clever for his own good, we share it.”

“I’m sure that sounded novel in your head.” Hux replied drily, “I will be fine the older he gets.”

“Are you sure?” Kylo asked, “Because it actually gets harder. When he can walk…you’ll be chasing him all over the place.”

“Phasma has already answered that problem for me.” Hux said casually, “She’s got a lead for me to put on him, a harness of types to stop him from running away. I’m not sure where her experience with children comes from but…it’s a useful idea.”

Kylo couldn’t stop the chuckle that came out when he pictured Techie standing next to Hux on a little First Order marked lead, trying to escape and Hux pulling him back in. Hux didn’t look impressed, rubbing Techie’s back and bouncing him gently on his hip.

“I’m sorry.” Kylo grinned as he spoke, getting himself under control again. “It’s just a funny thought. I’ve got some training from the Supreme Leader to do today, but I’ll come back later.”

“You don’t have to spend all your time with me anymore.” Hux stated, “Now I’m on board the _Finalizer_ I will soon be General and that’s that.”

“I know.” Kylo shrugged as casually as he could, “But I like spending time with you and Techie.”

Hux frowned, and a small blush formed on his cheeks. He buried his face in Techie’s hair, and shooed Kylo to the door. “Thank you for watching him. If you do come back later, bring the cot with you.”

“I will.” Kylo nodded, waving at Techie when the boy looked at him and leaving Hux’s rooms. He heard the door slide close and lock behind him.

\--

Hux was fuming when he came out of his private meeting with the Supreme Leader two weeks after they had taken the _Finalizer_. He hadn’t wanted to take Techie with him, since he was convinced Snoke’s ghastly appearance would terrify him. Kylo hadn’t been needed in this meeting, so he had left Techie with him. It was three days before Techie’s first birthday and Hux was planning a party for him. He hadn’t really thought about it, but Mitaka and Rin had pushed it, saying that the first birthday was an important one, and Techie deserved it to be celebrated in style.

“What’s wrong?” Kylo asked as Hux barged into his rooms. Techie was napping and Kylo had been meditating, startled back into reality by Hux’s anger. “Hux?”

“The Supreme Leader has confirmed that he is going to announce that I am to be General of the First Order in a ceremony.” Hux replied.

Kylo blinked, “That’s a bad thing?”

“He’s holding the ceremony in three days.” Hux finished, hands clenched into fists to stop himself from throwing something. “On Techie’s birthday. And I couldn’t argue with him because if I had, it would make it look as if Techie is ahead of the Order for me.”

“Oh.”

Kylo stood and approached Hux, cornering him against his desk so he would stop pacing. “Is the ceremony in the morning?”

Hux nodded, “In the morning and it should be done quickly. There will be a small party afterward, but I will not have to stay there long since I’ll be General then.”

“Don’t worry about it too much then. We can celebrate Techie’s birthday after the ceremony. I’m sure he won’t mind.” Kylo soothed, “It’ll be fine.”

“It better be.” Hux grumbled, “This is his first birthday. I didn’t…Mitaka made me see how it’s important and I’ve tried to make it special.”

“Focus on the ceremony and Techie’s birthday can come after.” Kylo ordered, placing a comforting hand on Hux’s shoulder. The other man looked up at him, and when their eyes met Kylo saw something flash in the green depths of Hux’s own…and with the Force he reached out and grasped the feeling. Lust, for Hux found Kylo charmingly attractive, and had felt that way since Kylo had first taken off his mask. It was a sentiment Kylo shared about Hux, and had done since he had seen him standing bare except for a towel, hair dripping wet and smiling at Techie standing by himself.

“How long has he been sleeping?” Hux breathed, inadvertently shifting his body weight so Kylo drew closer to him, their chests pressed together and Hux nearly sitting on the desk to accommodate the closeness.

“An hour maybe,” Kylo guessed, wrapping one arm around Hux’s waist to close every gap between them, “How long does he normally nap for?”

“It varies,” Hux said, “He can nap for hours some days and…barely at all other days. Ren…this isn’t advisable.”

“What isn’t?” Kylo mumbled, tilting his head and pressing a kiss to the join of Hux’s neck and ear.

Hux gasped, hands coming up as if to push him away but merely curling in his robe and bringing him closer. “This.”

Kylo said something along the lines of “I don’t care” into Hux’s neck as he bit him gently and drew another, quiet noise from the man. He could have come up with a few arguments about why this was preferable to them being at each other’s throats constantly, but he was too distracted with everything that was Hux. There was no resistance from Hux, and he leaned in when Kylo went to kiss his lips.

“ _General Hux!”_

Mitaka’s voice came through Hux’s comm, echoing in the room and making him jump. It was only Kylo’s quick reactions that stopped him from getting a knee to the crotch as Hux scrambled for the device, pulling away from Kylo and moving around the other side of the desk.

“Yes, Lance Corporal?”

“ _We have received orders to travel to the Unknown Regions ahead of your accession to the role of General.”_

“Yes, follow those orders.” Hux confirmed, “Supreme Leader Snoke has chosen a nameless planet to hold the ceremony on, and all major officers within the First Order will be attending. I’m coming to the bridge now to brief it all out to you now.”

“ _Very good General.”_

The comm disconnected and Hux ran a hand through his hair. He was slightly flushed from the almost kiss with Kylo, and he was still feeling exhausted.

“Will you stay with Techie?” He asked, slipping his comm and datapad into a pocket of his greatcoat and straightening his uniform before he made for the door, “I’ll be back to feed him.”

Kylo nodded, “Sure.”

Hux’s eyes flicked between Kylo’s eyes and lips briefly, and he made a small movement as if he wanted to lick his lips but had resisted before leaving the room. As soon as the door closed and locked itself Kylo heard a soft cry from the bedroom. Techie was awake, and when he went into the room he found the baby standing against the cot, crying and holding his hands out for Kylo

“Hey there little guy.” Kylo said softly, lifting Techie into his arms and gathering all the things he needed to change the baby with the Force, “Let’s get you up shall we. Then we’ve got a party to plan.”

Hux was extremely busy for the next three days when they arrived on the planet, preparing speeches and organising the after party that was going to be held in his honour. He also had a tough time finding a way to allow a holo of Snoke to appear on the day and announce him as General of the Order. He barely saw Kylo, and barely saw Techie as a result and Kylo had been reduced to babysitter. It was grating on him a little bit since he was co-commander of the First Order and Hux could have delegated some of the work to him, but every time he tried to bring it up Hux snapped at him, which upset Techie and the argument ended there.

To keep himself occupied alongside looking after Techie, Kylo planned a surprise birthday party. He could sense Hux’s stress at not having the time to prepare it all for his brother, so Kylo roped Mitaka and Rin into helping him sort out the Finalizer.

“I won’t be attending the ceremony, Lord Ren.” Mitaka had announced after Kylo had corned him to find out where Hux was. Since then, he had been in charge of getting the Finalizer ready for when Hux and Techie returned, since Hux was taking his little brother with him to the ceremony and party.

Rin had been all too happy to help as well, collecting decorations from storage on the Finalizer that Kylo was sure Hux didn’t actually know about, and organising a cake and food friendly for both adults and a one-year-old baby. The only thing missing was a present from Hux, and Kylo was determined to sort it out in the three days since Hux didn’t have the time.

The answer came to him on the second day when he came to Hux’s room in the morning to look after Techie. Hux was pacing back and forth, talking to someone on a long range holocall, and reading his mind was easy enough. Hux wanted to get Techie something special, and the first thing that had come to his mind had been a storybook that he had loved as a child, given to him from a kitchen-woman working at his father’s mansion on Arkanis. That woman was his mother, and the stories had been the only thing that had calmed Hux when he had been a child, especially after the fall of Arkanis when he had probably lost his mother. The book was on the planet still, Brendol Hux not having let Hux go looking for it.

When Hux left Kylo had contacted his Knights who were en-route to the planet for the ceremony and told them to go via Arkanis. They were to locate this book if they could and bring it to Kylo before the ceremony. Not one of them argued, although they were confused as to why they had to find a children’s story book. It was Byrhon, one of the most loyal Knights that agreed to the job and promised he wouldn’t fail, and Kylo believed him. The man hadn’t failed a mission once.

And so, the big day finally came.

Kylo woke especially early and retrieved the present he had bought Techie from his bedside table draw. He wanted to give it to Hux before they went to the ceremony, and he was right to assume Hux was awake at this hour, despite it being around five in the morning.

 Knocking on the door, Kylo wasn’t surprised when it opened for him and revealed a partially dressed Hux. Techie was still sleeping, Kylo could sense him in the other room. Hux was stressed, but that had been a norm since Kylo had met him.

“Ren.” He greeted Kylo shortly, examining himself in a floor length mirror on the inside of a wardrobe where he kept his coat and shoes. “What are you doing?”

“I wanted to give Techie his present before the ceremony,” Kylo replied, “And check up on you.”

“You got him something?” Hux looked shocked, turning to look at Kylo. “You didn’t have to.”

“I’d be the only person on the ship that didn’t if I hadn’t.” Kylo chuckled, “It’s only small, it’s sort of for both of you anyway.”

“I didn’t get him anything.” Hux murmured, “Not really. I just didn’t have time.”

“He doesn’t need a present from you,” Kylo said, “He’s already gotten the best present he could from you, a safe place to live. What are you doing?”

“Mentally preparing myself I suppose.” Hux admitted, “I’m not nervous just…tired. And you can tell. I look awful.”

Kylo shook his head in disagreement, coming up behind Hux and wrapping his arms around his waist. Hux froze under him but didn’t pull away. “I think you look beautiful,” He murmured, kissing Hux’s neck again.

“Ren, I told you this is a bad idea,” Hux warned even as he tilted his head to the side to give Kylo better access.

“Why?” Kylo hummed, pulling Hux flush against him.

“It’s against…regulation.” Hux gasped. His head lent back against Kylo’s shoulder and he brought one hand up to grab the back of Kylo’s head, hands tangling in his hair and pushing his head closer to his neck, mentally telling him to bite.

Kylo did.

Hux moaned.

“Just think of it as a little tension relief.” Kylo advised with a small grin before giving a sharp nip to Hux’s neck.

Hux pulled from his grasp at that and turned to face him, stepping back to put a larger gap between them. Kylo followed him, backing Hux up against a wall. Even this attempt to get away was half-hearted, and Kylo could sense Hux’s pent up frustration. Before Techie had come along he hadn’t had sex for months anyway due to his workload, and then when Techie had arrived he hadn’t even touched himself. Then Kylo had come aboard, wild and unruly and completely Hux’s taste for some bizarre reason and Hux wasn’t stupid, he had sensed Kylo’s attraction to him as well. This was something he wanted but something he was afraid to give. He had already opened himself up to Kylo so much, there was a small part of him that was worried what no-strings-attached sex could turn into. He wanted Kylo to hurt him, choke him, just take what he wanted and at the same time he wanted to kick him out and go back to sleep. Somewhere in the middle of the weeks they had been working together, and looking after Techie together, this lust had appeared, and Kylo was happy to oblige Hux’s fantasies, even if it was only the once.

“If you want me to stop, tell me.” Kylo informed him, before striding over the small space between them and slamming Hux into the wall, crowding against him and slipping one of his hands between them to palm Hux through his pants. Hux hissed and attempted to push Kylo off, his eyes flicking to his bedroom door that stood ajar, hiding Techie from view. Kylo growled and grabbed Hux’s jaw, making him look right at him.

“Forget it.” He ordered.

“Him.” Hux corrected automatically, gasping over the word as Kylo’s hands slipped from his jaw to his neck, squeezing so hard that for a moment Hux couldn’t breathe. He nearly swooned under Kylo’s fingers, his own hands curling into Kylo’s robes and pulling him closer, if that was even possible as there was no space between them. Replacing his hand with his lips, Kylo bit and suck at the soft flesh of Hux’s neck, hard enough to leave bruises but none that would show above the collar. Hux mouth opened to groan, and Kylo choked him with the Force this time, allowing him to continue biting him but stopping Hux from making any noise. The room was filled with the sound of his strangled attempts at breathing and the rustle of their clothes as Kylo grinded into him.

The hand Kylo was using to palm Hux moved to the General’s waist, gripping him tightly and flipping him around. Hux leaned forward to rest his forehead against the wall, feeling a little overwhelmed by it all but happy for it to continue. His cheeks were red and his eyes were rolling slightly from the lack of breath, prompting Kylo to relax his grip, allowing Hux to gulp in enough air to keep him conscious. He couldn’t make noise, couldn’t move as Kylo pressed into him, he was completely at Kylo’s mercy and pliable under him. Slipping one leg forward to pin Hux in place, Kylo brought his other hand back down and undid Hux’s pants.

Precome was already building on the tip of Hux’s cock, and Kylo spread it along the length lazily, drawing stuttered breaths from the General. Hux was painfully hard and felt nice in Kylo’s gloved hands, hot and heavy and nestled in a curl of hair at the base. Hux hissed as Kylo began to jerk his hand, a mixture of pleasure and pain at the burn of his leather gloves. With a press to Hux’s throat, Hux tilted his head back again, resting it back against Kylo’s shoulder, his back arched pleasantly to he could thrust into Kylo’s waiting palm. The sound of Hux’s laboured breathing and short moans right next to his ear turned Kylo on more than he had ever believed choking someone could.

Hux’s left arm came up and curled around the back of Kylo’s neck again, grabbing at his hair again and tugging hard. Kylo bent his head, increasing the pull and biting what he could reach of Hux’s neck through his fingers. Hux really liked the feeling of Kylo’s leather gloves on him, his thighs trembling under the effort of staying on his feet.

“R-R…Ren.” He managed to choke out, meeting Kylo’s eyes with little effort.

The word sounded deafening in the quiet of the room but it sent a thrill of pleasure straight down to Kylo’s own cock. Squeezing a little tighter, Kylo silenced Hux from making any further loud noises.

“You’re nearly there, General.” Kylo murmured against Hux’s skin, emphasising the title and Hux’s hips shuddered in Kylo’s hands as he came, hard, scratching Kylo’s scalp as he tried to hold something tangible in place through the pleasure. Kylo continued to lazily stroke Hux, overstimulating him and causing him to try and keen and curse at the same time, unable to do so because of the hand at his throat. When Hux’s thighs had finally stopped trembling beneath him, Kylo released Hux’s throat and the man gasped for air properly, coughing and automatically feeling his own throat as he leant against the wall. His hips pressed back against Kylo’s own hardness, but it didn’t bother him, didn’t skate his hips away, he just slowly grinded back against Kylo as he fought to quickly get his breathing back under control.

Before Kylo could say or do anything, Hux flipped their positions and pushed Kylo against the wall instead. He dropped slowly to his knees, hands parting Kylo’s robes to look at the bulge in his pants. Kylo’s hands went to Hux’s hair, threading through the dishevelled ginger locks and holding Hux in position while Hux shoved Kylo’s clothes out of the way to free his cock. Hux was surprised by his size, Kylo felt it through the Force, and a quiet moan escaped him when Hux pressed a light kiss to the top of his cockhead, already leaking from his work on Hux himself.

“W-wait.” Kylo murmured, using his grip in Hux’s hair to coax him back to his feet and pull him closer. Hux wriggled one hand between them, gently stroking the underside of Kylo’s cock with his thumb and fixing him with a stare that told Kylo he was going to restrain Hux to keep him off his cock. “A General shouldn’t be on his knees.” Kylo added, arms wrapped tightly around Hux’s waist.

“A General reward those that have done well,” Hux breathed in return. His voice was raw, scratching from being choked, and Kylo wondered momentarily if he was going to be able to speak during the ceremony.  
“And you’ve done so well,” Hux continued, emphasising his point by drawing a finger up the vein of Kylo’s cock this time, pressing down harder than was comfortable but it felt amazing and Kylo groaned again.

“I’ll…be noisy.” He panted, head tipping forward to hide in Hux’s shoulders to try and muffle his voice.

Hux frowned and stepped back, withdrawing his hand much to Kylo’s displeasure, but when he tried to chase him, Hux kept him flat against the wall with a firm hand. With his eyes fixed on Kylo’s, Hux drew his tunic up and over his head, grasping either end of the fabric and twisting it around so it was thinner and bunched up. He then pressed it against Kylo’s lips. Kylo opened his mouth and accepted the fabric willing, inhaling Hux’s scent as he did and moaning into the tunic. The feel of the fabric on his tongue made his stomach heave automatically, but Kylo fought the urge down, turning so Hux could tie the makeshift gag at the back of his head.

Sinking to his knees again, Hux wasted no time in getting started. His lips stretched around Kylo’s cock, taking all the head at once. He had never done this before, had never had anyone take his cock in their mouth, and the wet heat of Hux’s mouth was perfect. His tongue was flat, and when he bobbed his head further down it dragged deliciously on his underside, causing Kylo to shiver and grip the wall for support. Hux had a good gag reflex, and managed to take a lot of Kylo into his mouth at once, swallowing around him and switching perfectly between deep-throating and gentle licks and kisses. He paid special attention to the head.

When Kylo didn’t think he could take much more Hux stopped, and he whined loudly at the loss of contact. It was muffled by the tunic, but not enough for Hux’s tastes, as his hands wrapped around Kylo’s neck, effectively cutting off the sound. He brought his lips to Kylo’s ear, nipping the earlobe and kissing the join of his neck just below.

“Take control.” Hux whispered.

He didn’t specify what he wanted, just sank back to his knees and began to take Kylo into his mouth again. Kylo didn’t need to ask. He knew what Hux wanted. Taking a tight grip in Hux’s hair, Kylo began to move his hips, fucking into Hux’s mouth softly. Hux was completely relaxed around him, tongue flat and protecting Kylo’s cock from his bottom teeth. Occasionally it would wriggle and provide more friction. Hux jerked his head, effectively causing Kylo to thrust deeper. It was all the indication Kylo needed that Hux wanted it harder, and faster, and deeper. His hands were on Kylo’s thighs, steadying him, and Kylo began to fuck in earnest, each one becoming longer, deeper and harder as he abused Hux’s throat from the inside as well as the outside. Hux himself was barely contained, starting to grow hard again from the sensation.

Kylo felt a familiar tightening in his lower stomach, and pulled himself free to come on Hux’s face with thick, white streaks. Hux kept his mouth open, swallowing what he managed to collect and wiping the rest of his face with a finger and sucking it clean. Kylo pulled the tunic free from his mouth, hoisted Hux off the floor and pushed him into the wall again, kissing him ferociously. Hux’s legs wrapped around Kylo’s waist, drawing their cocks together and sending them both hissing into the kiss. It was all teeth and tongue, Kylo nipping Hux’s lip a little too hard and causing blood to well up. Hux groaned, hands in Kylo’s hair.

Kylo’s hands were free, his bulk holding Hux up against the wall, and he began to wander lower, sliding under the regulation black tank top Hux was wearing to feel across his flushed stomach and nipples. Hux reacted so perfectly to him, tilting his neck so Kylo could bite and suck at the already bruising flesh. There would be a hand print there later, angry and red and letting everyone that saw it know exactly what had happened between them.

As he was about to try and wrestle Hux’s pants down with the man still wrapped around his waist, Kylo was interupted by the wailing sound of a baby. The change in Hux was instantaneous. He stopped kissing Kylo, unhooked his legs, and pushed Kylo away from him so he was free. Before rushing across the room to get Techie up and dressed for the day, Hux paused and stepped back closer to Kylo, kissing him softly.

“This still isn’t right but…let’s do it again.” He murmured, before disappearing into the bedroom. He reappeared with Techie a few moments later, the boy rubbing his tired eyes and babbling unhappily against Hux’s shoulder.  
“Good morning,” Hux was saying, “And happy birthday.”

“Happy birthday Techie.” Kylo echoed, head still spinning from the blowjob. Hux shook his head, hiding a grin behind Techie. “I’ve got a present for you.”

If either of them should have felt odd doting on the child after a bout of rigorous foreplay, neither did, and a relaxed air settled over the room. Kylo reached into his pocket and withdrew a small box, wrapped with silk ribbon tied in a bow. Techie spotted it immediately and reached out for it. Hux took hold of it first and let Techie pull at the ribbon instead, all while Hux fixed Kylo with a dubious stare. Eventually Techie bored of the ribbon because he couldn’t open it, so Hux sat down on the edge of the table.

“Let’s open it together.” He said, taking Techie’s hands and pulling the ribbon open. The box revealed a small pouch and inside were too necklaces. One was shaped like a dog-tag, larger than the other and with a small, curved hole in one side. It had a small love-heart shaped pendant on the same chain as well. Hux pulled it out and sucked in a sharp breath when he read it. “It…it says, ‘There is a boy who stole my heart, he calls me brother’. And this says…‘Big Hux.’” He read to Techie, voice cracking a little bit. When he pulled out the other necklace his hands were shaking. “And this one says…‘Little Hux’.”

Techie grabbed for the necklaces too and Hux let him take hold of the one that said Little Hux on it, but stopped him from putting it in his mouth.

“Ren…you didn’t have to.” He murmured, avoiding Kylo’s gaze, the dog-tag necklace sitting heavy in his palm. “I…thank you.”

“I know it’s Techie’s big day but, I figured you deserved something too. I’ve only been here a month and I can see how hard it’s been for you.” Kylo shrugged with a soft smile, “I know it’s pretty cheesy but-.”

“No I…I like it.” Hux interupted, “Although he can’t really wear jewellery yet.”

“I figured,” Kylo laughed.

“But I’ll put it on him when he’s older.” Hux clarified, “And I’m going to wear this.” He lifted the hand holding the dog-tag necklace to indicate it and Kylo felt his face flush a little. “I think it’s beautiful. I…I have to get ready now. Will you watch him quickly while I shower?”

“Of course.” Kylo grinned, “Come here birthday boy.”

Techie reached out for him, still clutching the other necklace and smiling widely at Kylo. Hux disappeared into the ‘fresher, but Kylo was sure he saw the glimmer of tears in the General’s eyes before he disappeared. Smiling, he sat down with Techie on the couch, changed him and then proceeded to read to him from a small, wooden book that Techie evidently liked to chew from the dents in the cover.

\--

The stage set up for the ceremony was huge and covered in First Order emblems and flags. There were seats set to one side where Hux and the security council of the Order were going to sit and then there were more seats set up right in front of the stage for the important officers. The Stormtroopers and less important officers that had to attend as well were situated further back, but huge screens had been brought to broadcast Hux’s ascension to power. As far as Kylo was aware, this was being broadcast to the Republic as well, telling them that Order was at its most powerful now they had finally chosen a leader in Hux.

The man himself was fidgeting in his seat as they waited for everyone to file in. Kylo was sat on one side and there was a special seat set up for Techie on his other side. As soon as they had left the Finalizer, Kylo had given orders to Mitaka to begin decorating the officer’s mess on the ship for Techie’s party. Many of the Finalizer officers would return to the ship after the ceremony, not attending the actual party following Hux’s official appointment as General, and they would sort out bringing in presents and setting up the food and when Hux and Techie returned to the ship the party could begin.

Hux was messing with his collar. It felt uncomfortable against the handprint blooming there from his earlier tryst with Kylo, but it made him look nervous. Techie had an abundance of toys next to him, and was drawing confused looks from the officers that were filing in. Snoke was going to speak first, through a holocall that would not reveal his face to the masses there, but would allow his voice to be heard. Then the security council would speak and Hux would give a speech after being truly awarded the rank of General. All in all, the ceremony was going to last about two hours, and Kylo was already bored. His Knights had turned up a few moments ago and were hanging around the back of the stage. Byrhon had turned up after them, book in tow, which now rested comfortably inside Kylo’s robes.

A hush fell across the crowd. It was about to begin.

Hux spent the majority of the speeches playing with Techie and keeping him quiet. By the time it came to his own speech the boy was sleeping on his lap, having been about to throw a huge tantrum before Hux had taken him out of his seat and hushed him to sleep.

“Come up with me,” He whispered to Kylo.

Surprised, the Knight did so.

Hux walked into the spotlight with Techie in his arms, unabashed by how it looked. Kylo stood by his side, imposing in his mask, lightsaber clear for all to see.

“I would like to thank Supreme Leader Snoke for his choice in making me General, and for his faith that this is the best thing for the Order.” Hux began, his voice carrying clearly across the gathered officers and troopers, amplified by a hidden device in his collar. “And I know many of you feel the same. But there is an issue that must be addressed that I know many of you believe is a factor in why I am not eligible for this position.”

Techie shifted in his arms.

“This is my little brother. He was given into my care when our father passed away. Now, there was some concern on how a man could run the First Order effectively whilst also parenting a child, and many of you probably think I’m here to explain it to you.” Hux paused, eyes seeking out Colonel Datoo in the crowd of officers. “But I am not.”

This statement drew a small collection of muttered surprise and anger from some of the officers.

Hux ignored them. “I do not need to explain myself. You can see from my record why looking after a child has not affected my abilities to be an officer in this great Order. And if any of you fine officers do have a problem I’m sure the Supreme Leader would be willing to hear them, disregard them, and put you in your place. But if you feel daring enough to not go behind my back and have any problems with my ability to be General, please do let me know. I’ll be sure to assuage your fear.”

Silence followed his words and Hux’s gaze turned triumphant. Not one officer gathered here was going to question his position as General, even with Techie in tow. Kylo could sense some of them were unhappy with the way things had gone, but they knew it was not their place to complain about Hux, and they all wanted to keep their jobs.

“This is Kylo Ren, Master of the Knights of Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke’s apprentice.” Hux continued, nodding at Kylo, who stayed standing where he was and didn’t speak. He hoped Hux didn’t want him to make a speech, he had never really been that good at public speaking.  
“I am sure many of you know him, or know of him. Well, he has been assigned as co-commander of the Order. You will all directly answer to me, as General, but any trouble makers will answer directly to him. We can all work together to overthrow the New Republic and their pathetic Resistance once and for all. For the First Order.”

The call brought all the officer’s and troopers to their feet, repeating the words and saluting Hux. Hux stayed standing in the spotlight for only a moment longer before walking off the stage, Kylo in tow.

“That was impressive.” Kylo said, “Nice and threatening.”

“You don’t become General of an Order like this by being nice.” Hux shot back. “I need to feed Techie before the party starts, or he’s going to be cranky.”

“Did you bring food?”

“I always do.”

They found a quiet spot while the officers began to disperse to the small party being held and Kylo fished a bib from inside his robes. Techie had woken up during the noise and had been too overwhelmed to really react, but now he was crying and fussing as Hux tried to hold him still.

“Let me hold him.” Kylo said, “You feed him.”

Hux knew what Kylo meant and settled Techie on a seat next to him. Kylo held him with the Force, and the sensation was so new that Techie sat happily and ate half the jar of baby food Hux had, and drank a full bottle of juice. When he refused any further food, Hux swept him into his arms and hugged him. Techie rested his head on Hux’s shoulder and said “dada, da da da da.”

“Ah, General Hux, so this is where you’re hiding.” Datoo’s voice broke through the silence and he appeared before them as if out of nowhere.

Hux’s expression turned sour.

“The officers are expecting you, you are attending the party are you not?” Datoo continued, disregarding Hux’s expression, his eyes on Techie instead.

“Of course I will.” Hux replied coldly, “You can wait for me there.”

It was a dismissal and Datoo knew it but he didn’t leave just yet. “How is the little man?” He asked.

“Fine.” Hux said flatly, “He’s just been fed and I’m about to change him. If you’re going to stay perhaps you would like to help?”

Datoo turned a little pale at the offer and shook his head. “I’m afraid I will have to decline. Don’t take too long, General, there are many waiting to see you.”

Hux watched Datoo leave with an expression that would have cut the man dead if it could. Kylo looked amused.

“Don’t say anything.” Hux warned, handing Techie to him as he rummaged in the small bag he had brought for nappies and baby wipes.

Techie screamed blue murder the entire time they were changing him, and attempted to crawl away several times, leading to Hux doing the entire thing in his lap. He was tired and longing for his own room when they finally entered the party, and Kylo assumed others could sense his dangerous aura, for not many officers approached him straight away.

Phasma was another story.

“Happy birthday little man.” She cooed at Techie, who cooed back and tried to grab for her. Hux held him fast and didn’t let him go. “Don’t I get a cuddle?”

“Later.” Hux hissed, “I need him in my arms right now.”

“Trying not to punch anyone?” Phasma teased, “I know the feeling. Just make an appearance and go. Now you’re officially General you have a lot of work to be-…oops.”

Kylo, who had been checking he still had the storybook in his pocket had walked right into Phasma without noticing her. She was a solid force and didn’t move, although they both stumbled a little bit and the book fell to the floor. Kylo dived after it but not before Hux noticed it.

“What’s this?” He asked, recognition flashing in his eyes.

“Another birthday present.” Kylo mumbled, “For you to give to Techie.”

“Is…is that my storybook?” Hux breathed, the party falling away as he focused entirely on the weathered book in Kylo’s hand. Phasma took the moment to excuse herself, and everyone else seemed to have the presence of mind to avoid the two commanders for now.  
“How did you-?”

“Byrhon, he’s one of my Knights. When I realised this is what you wanted to give Techie I had him stop by Arkanis on the way here and pick it up.” Kylo admitted sheepishly, “I’m sorry if that oversteps the line or something.”

“No…no it doesn’t it…it’s brilliant.” Hux exclaimed breathily, “Thank you, Ren.”

“Like you said, it’s his first birthday, we have to make it special.” Kylo shrugged. Hux looked as if he wanted to kiss him then and there, but he resisted and took the book. Techie instantly took interest in it but Hux didn’t let him have it. “Come on, if you mingle a little we can get out of here.” Kylo added.

Hux nodded and strode into the crowd. With the book in his hands and Techie tucked safely in his arms as well he mingled well, speaking with crisp, clear words to all officers that wanted the chance to speak to him and suck up to him before he returned to the Finalizer. He kept stealing glances at Kylo, who had stuck to the edge of the room with his Knights in tow, and every time their eyes met his grip on the book would tighten.

Eventually, after an hour, Hux had had enough and excused himself. Most of the other officers of the Finalizer had left already as well and the party here would continue on into the night, but Techie was being fussy and had had enough of the officers that wanted to coo over him. Fetching Phasma and Kylo from the crowd, Hux bade his farewells and left.

“That was an ordeal.” Phasma commented as they walked back towards where the Finalizer was docked. “I’m glad you can only be appointed General once.”

“Me too.” Hux agreed, shifting Techie from one arm to the other. His arms were aching terribly and he was afraid he might drop his brother, and Kylo had noticed how he had been swapping arms a lot during the last twenty minutes.

“Do you want me to take him?” He asked, “Or maybe Captain Phasma can have her cuddle now.”

“That would cheer me up,” Phasma nodded.

Hux gave Techie to her easily enough and she bounced him up and down gently on her hip. It hit Kylo that Phasma had no idea about the surprise party either, but she had bought Techie a present because he had heard her talking about it.

The Finalizer was deathly silent when they arrived back on board and Hux was immediately suspicious. Kylo was glad for his helmet otherwise his face would have given him away, as he led them through the halls. They passed the officer’s mess and Hux paused, noticing the lights were brightly shining. He took Techie back off Phasma so she could put her hand on her blaster, both concerned with how they hadn’t met anyone in the halls. Kylo opened the door with the Force and party poppers exploded as the crew shouted “Happy Birthday!” in unison.

Hux’s jaw dropped and he let himself gawk in an undignified way until he managed to school his features again. He turned to Kylo with an accusing look.

“You did this.” He said.

“Not just me,” Kylo said defensively, “Mitaka and Rin helped.”

Hux had an unreadable expression on his face and Kylo felt a little nervous. He could tell Mitaka and Rin were worried they were going to get into trouble as well for this, but then Hux stepped forward and nodded to them with a light smile.

“Thank you.” He announced, “This is perfect.”

Techie was wide-eyed at the lights and decorations and presents and food and said “wow!” loudly as Hux walked the length of the room, taking it all in himself. Kylo followed, taking Techie when Hux prompted him too as his arms were shaking again. The pile of presents was quite extensive and Hux was torn between admonishing the officers for spoiling his brother and being touched that they cared about the boy so much to do so.

Turning, he found Kylo knelt down with Techie standing on the floor, leaning against him. Hux knelt down too, only a few paces away. Techie stared at him. Hux held out his arms. Even with the ache all he wanted to do was hug his brother. Mitaka appeared, recording the scene with a stammered explanation of “my mum did this with my siblings so she always had a record when they left home”, and he looked relieved when Hux didn’t shoot the idea down.

Techie focused on Hux and with a determined expression on his face, and his hands gripping two of Kylo’s fingers, he began walking towards his brother. When he got to the extent his arms would go, Kylo gently freed his fingers from Techie’s grasp and instead of falling over Techie carried on walking slowly towards Hux, taking his first, faltering steps towards his brother. Hux was so surprised he nearly forgot to catch Techie when he did fall, reaching out on instinct more than anything else.

Silence followed.

Hux held Techie to him with one arm, the other hand covering his mouth as his eyes went a little watery. Kylo was grinning, equally surprised and equally happy.

Mitaka was the first to speak.

“He walked!”

Hux nodded, “He walked.” He repeated.

The room exploded into cheers and cries of “you’re so clever, Techie” and “clever little boy!”. Hux knelt on the floor, holding Techie to him and struggling not to cry. He couldn’t explain how much it meant to him to witness Techie’s first steps, and that those first steps had been determination to get to him. He hadn’t thought his day could get any better,

“I’m going to protect you.” He murmured to Techie as the boy squirmed to get free again, “I’m never going to let anyone hurt you. I love you, Techie.”

Techie squealed and clapped at Hux’s low words and Hux smiled, hiding it as he kissed the top of Techie’s head. With his emotions mostly under control he stood and faced his crew again. “I think this one is getting restless, let’s get him something to play with!” He announced, walking over to the presents to more cheers and clamour from the officers of theirs to be the first open.

Kylo hung back, smiling.


	5. Toddlers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some relaxed, parental time with Hux, Kylo and Techie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of this chapter has been written for so long lmao, but I've finally finished it. It's sort of a filler chapter and I've got some really angsty stuff lined up which will begin in the next chapter!

 

 

Despite the speech Hux gave during his inauguration, officers and allies of the First Order referred to Techie as his son and not his little brother. After three months of correcting continuous mistakes, Hux stopped doing so, although he was a little colder towards the personnel that got it wrong and they soon realised themselves what they were doing. All officers aboard the _Finalizer_ knew their true relationship as they had come from the _Dauntless_ with Hux himself, and it meant Hux didn’t have to deal with it very often. He assumed the confusion was coming from how similar Techie looked to him, and Hux had decided that wasting his breath on idiots that hadn’t bothered to listen to him was pointless. Compliments about being a good father as well as a perfect father usually left him flustered, but able to compose small words of thanks, even if he glared at the person that said it.

Of all the rumours that begun when Hux became General, there was one he despised and would always argue and that was the idea that Kylo was raising Techie with him and he was their son. Hux would flatly refuse to even acknowledge anyone that gave the impression they believed it, usually leaving said person confused until someone else explained it to them. It amused Kylo to no end, and he was always on the lookout for opportunities to further the rumours just to annoy Hux. It didn’t help Hux that there were so many chances for Kylo to do so, especially since he and Kylo were rarely apart and it was evident Techie adored Kylo. The officers and Troopers that had seen Hux coming out of Kylo’s room and vice versa had had their minds wiped to avoid rumours of another kind being circulated as well because Kylo had rightly assumed Hux wouldn’t be able to deal with anymore.

Four months into his stint as General, Hux was in the ‘fresher when Kylo let himself into the room after his shift. Crossing to the door, Kylo smirked under his helmet at Hux’s outfit, something he had never seen before. Hux was dressed in running shorts that hugged the tops of his thighs but left the rest of his legs bare, a regulation First Order vest and fluffy slipper that were designed like ankle boots. The humidity in the room had left Hux’s thighs and calves slightly shiny under the fluorescent lights, and his orange hair was a mess. With a datapad resting on his thighs, Hux was absently working on something as he kept an eye on Techie and the bath he was running for him.

The toddler in question was standing against the side of the bath watching it run. He was in only a vest, going nappy free since he had developed a bad rash. At the door opening he turned to look at Kylo and squealed excitedly, alerting Hux to his presence.

“En!” Techie exclaimed, toddling as best he could over to Kylo, “En!”

“Ren.” Kylo corrected softly, picking Techie up when he held out his hands to him and settling him on his hip. “How has he been?”

“Fine.” Hux shrugged, putting the datapad aside and standing up. “Can you watch him please? I’ve got a quick call I need to make.”

“I’ve just got in Hux, can I have a moment first?” Kylo inquired a little more harshly than he intended to.

Hux fixed him with a cold stare, although the effect was slightly lost when Kylo saw how tired he was underneath it. “I’ve been working and watching him all day while you train with Snoke, I could use a break for a few minutes. If you didn’t want to be saddled with him, then you shouldn’t have come here straight after your shift.” He snapped.

“I know.” Kylo sighed, setting Techie back down so he could remove his helmet. “I’m sorry. It’s been a hard day and Snoke was…harsh. I shouldn’t take that out on you. Go on, I’ll watch him.”

“Thank you.” Hux murmured, brushing past Kylo out of the door and taking the helmet with him. He didn’t like leaving it in Techie’s vicinity after the toddler had nearly activated the hydraulics of the mask and Hux had panicked that he could get his fingers trapped. “I won’t be long, and neither will be the bath.”

Kylo didn’t reply, allowing the ‘fresher door to close so Hux had a semblance of privacy when he made his call. Techie watched the door close and his bottom lip started the tremble. After his first birthday he had begun cutting several teeth at once but they were taking a long time to come through, meaning he was extremely fussy. He wanted Hux and only Hux, and it was only with gentle comfort sent via the Force that Kylo could keep him calm when Hux was gone. Hux had relented to that, since Kylo had confirmed it wouldn’t cause Techie any harm.

He also felt guilty for snapping at Hux. It had become a lot more frequent that they would fight when they first came together after their shifts were done, as the stress of a long day and then not having a moment’s respite because of Techie got to them. Hux had it worse than Kylo, and the Knight would freely admit that, since the General had a higher workload than he had as a Major and Techie was being a handful. It was understandable why he was eager to allow Kylo to look after Techie for a few minutes when he returned, giving Hux a much-needed break. Techie wasn’t sleeping properly during the day anymore, his nap had moved to the morning, and he wasn’t sleeping through anymore either. They were going to be at the end of their tether soon, Kylo thought, but Hux more so than him.

Techie’s exclamation of “Wow!” as he pointed at the water cascading into the bath broke Kylo from his thoughts and he smiled down at the boy. It was very hot in the bathroom, prompting Kylo to remove a few layers before testing the temperature of the water. Techie tried to copy him, but Kylo stopped him with the Force as the water was a little bit too hot for him to touch yet.

“Do you want to have a break?” Hux’s voice broke the silence as he came back in and settled back down on Techie’s other side, “After Snoke?”

“This is more welcome than being alone.” Kylo said quietly, “Do you want me to handle bathing him?”

Hux shook his head. “Parents don’t get a break, not as this age. If I start taking breaks now I’ll want more and more and then…well…who’s going to look after him.”

“I do have some good news for you.” Kylo said to change the subject, switching off the hot water and turning on the cold with the Force.

Hux raised an eyebrow and focused on him, nodding for Kylo to continue as he fetched Techie’s towel down and placed it on the radiator to get warm.

“We think we may have found a suitable planet for Starkiller.” Kylo revealed, “My Knights have been searching and compiling all information about the planet for you to decide on the suitability, but they believe it to be a perfect fit. The Supreme Leader agrees.”

A myriad of emotions passed over Hux’s face in a few seconds, before he finally settled with surprise, mixed with a little bit of joy. His mind was racing for the right words, Kylo could hear it through the Force.

“I’ll have to see it.” Hux muttered more to himself than to Kylo, “There are some things on the planet that your Knights won’t know to look for. And there will be tests to run…but…you’re sure?”

The hope in his tone, the evident grasp he was making that the construction and development of Starkiller was going to keep him sane because it was something he was completely ready for, touched Kylo more than he wanted to admit. He was sure it showed on his face but Hux was too busy simultaneously stopping Techie grabbing the hot tap and rifling through documents on his datapad.

“The only thing we have to go off are the Supreme Leader’s strong feelings this is the suitable planet. I’ll get the coordinates off my Knights and we can travel there.” He confirmed and Hux sighed happily.

“Good!” Techie interjected, looking between the smiles on Hux and Kylo’s faces and clapping. “Good! Good! Good!”

They both chuckled, Kylo ruffling Techie’s hair as Hux checked the water in the bath again. Techie waddled over to Kylo again and climbed into his lap. Kylo gently tapped Techie on the nose with a soft exclamation of “nosey” before tapping his own and repeating it. Techie reached up to try and do the same, prompting Kylo to bend down so he could reach.

“It’s a good thing you like me so much, Techie.” Kylo said with a small laugh, kissing the top of the baby’s head. “Otherwise I don’t think your brother would tolerate me.”

Glancing up at Hux, he found the General frowning at him, with a hint of playfulness behind it.

“I wouldn’t.” He agreed.

It was a lie and they both knew it. Their fumbled encounter before Hux’s rise to power as General had been repeated quite a few times, always in stolen moments when Techie was sleeping or when they were simply sharing the same bed. And that wasn’t the only thing. They had developed a comfortable routine, usually spending time either in Hux’s chambers or Kylo’s and each morning before Hux would leave with his shift along with Techie, Kylo would kiss Techie on the top of the head and Hux on the cheek. Every evening when they both returned to whichever room they were spending time in and they would hug in greeting and Techie would get another kiss.

Hux was adamant there was nothing there. But he did more than just tolerate Kylo’s presence.

“You should take off a few more layers.” Hux commented airily.

Kylo glanced down at what he was wearing, wondering what Hux meant. He had stripped off the majority of his layers, but clearly Hux didn’t think it was enough. Kylo had no complaints, the bathroom was really hot.

“You know that I have to have the room super-hot because Techie has breathing problems and the steam helps him. Honestly, it’s like you haven’t done this before.” Hux continued. His tone was still calm and airy, but Kylo read into it too much.

“I know that.” He said as calmly as he could, shrugging off his last layer and leaving himself in just his crop top and underwear. “I’ve been working all day Hux, and I was fine how I was.”

“We’ve already established you weren’t the only one working all day.” Hux murmured, his tone suddenly hard. “Don’t forget you can just wander in and out of his day as you please, you don’t have to be here.”

Kylo took a deep breath to stop himself from snapping in response. He made a disgruntled noise and nodded at the bath. It was full enough for Techie to get in, and the toddler was getting annoyed and trying to climb over the side into the water. Hux knelt up and turned off the water, testing the temperature with the thermometer that looked like a TIE fighter.

“Dada!” Techie demanded, “Dada! Bath!”

“I know Techie, let’s get you undressed.” Hux murmured.

He slipped Techie’s shirt and pants off, unbuttoned his vest and stripped him of his nappy as well. Techie seemed super happy to be naked, and tried to run off towards the door. Kylo caught him gently around the waist and lifted him up before depositing him into the special bath seat Hux had bought for him. As soon as he was in the water, Techie began splashing.

With the Force, Kylo brought all of Techie’s toys over to the bath and splashed them in, soaking the toddler and he screeched happily. Bath time with Techie always guaranteed water going everywhere.

Hux lay his head on the side of the bath, finally relaxing. He knew Kylo would catch Techie if anything happened with the Force, so he idly swished the water with his hand as Techie played.

“Snoke will schedule time for you to go and see the planet we’ve decided for Starkiller.” Kylo muttered, “You’ll have to make plans for Techie.”

“He can come with me.” Hux replied immediately, as if it were obvious. “There’s no one I trust enough to look after him while I’m gone.”

“The planet has some harsh conditions Hux, it wouldn’t be advisable to take him.” Kylo warned, “I’m sure Mitaka or Phasma could look after-.”

“No, they have their own jobs to do and they haven’t got a correct routine for looking after him and still doing their work.” Hux cut Kylo off immediately, already pouring shampoo on his hand to carefully wash Techie’s curls. “Ren, listen to me. I can look after Techie and do my job, and it won’t be any different on this planet.”

Kylo knew not to argue again so he bit his lip and watched as Techie tried to force Hux’s hands off his head while he washed the shampoo from it. It was always a battle between them and it amused Kylo to no end.

When the shampoo was finally gone, Hux said, “Maybe Kylo will stand you up so we can wash you.” His tone was childish and Techie turned his head to him immediately. It was the only time Hux would use the name Kylo, because even though Techie had begun trying to say the name Ren, he associated the name Kylo with him as well.

Reaching into the bath, Kylo hoisted Techie up and set him on his feet. Techie grabbed hold of the side of the bath and immediately tried to climb out.

“No, no Techie, stay still.” Hux ordered.

The toddler didn’t listen so Hux just got on with washing his body, making sure he was completely clean, even as he wriggled in Kylo’s grip and tried to get free. When he was done, Kylo sat Techie back down to wash off the bubbles and Techie began to splash happily again.

“Whoa!” He exclaimed, “Whoa!”

“I shall inform the Supreme Leader to prepare the journey as soon as possible.” Hux murmured as he prepared the over the head towel he had for Techie. Kylo lifted him out, Hux slipping the towel over his head and pulling up the hood before gathering Techie into his arms and leaving the ‘fresher.

His room was cold compared to the bathroom, and Hux shivered as the cold air made his exposed skin develop goose bumps. He carried Techie into the bedroom where he had his pyjamas laid out and set Techie on the bed. Almost immediately Techie pushed himself up onto his feet and tried to walk along the bed, falling onto his hands and knees and crawling when the mattress proved too hard for him to balance on. Hux hauled him back towards him, settled him on his knee and began to dry him off.

Kylo watched Techie wriggle and struggle as Hux manoeuvred around him, drying him, wrestling him into a nappy, pants and pyjama top.

“Will you please get my datapad from the bathroom and load up his cartoons please?” Hux requested.

“Sure.” Kylo nodded and retreated back into the bathroom.

Coming back out, he found Techie and Hux curled up together on the bed, Techie lying on Hux’s chest and poking him in the nose while he babbled happily. Hux held his hand out for the datapad and handed it to Techie silently. The cartoons had been preloaded for him, and he pressed play immediately, sitting on Hux’s chest and watching them. Kylo didn’t speak, just moved to the small kitchen that Hux had in his quarters and made Techie’s night bottle.

Hux smiled when he brought it over to him. “Thank you.”

He shifted Techie to the bed, nestling him in the pillows and handing him the milk bottle. The datapad began to float above him, held there by Kylo even as he sank down onto the bed next on the other side of Techie. Silence descended between them, only broken by the sound of Techie drinking and the noise of the cartoons. The toddler was nearly asleep by the time he finished, his eyes drooping. Kylo shifted again, and noticed that Hux was, in fact, asleep.

Kylo couldn’t help the smile that crossed his lips when he noticed. He took Techie into his arms and carried him through to the ‘fresher again, brushing his teeth and then carrying him through to the bedroom and laying him down in his cot. Techie wriggled and made a few crying noises, but stopped and settled when Kylo fastened him into his sleepsuit and handed him a dummy.

“Goodnight, Techie.” He murmured, leaning down to kiss the top of his head.

Hux normally read him a story, but Kylo didn’t. He didn’t want to take that from Hux and Techie, and Techie was used to going to sleep without having a story when Kylo put him to bed. Heading back into the main bedroom, Kylo gently slipped Hux’s slippers off and brought the duvet over him before leaving the room and locking the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my [Tumblr](http://tyrannysaurusrex.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you think /o/


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